


Forever And Then Some

by Tobi_Boone



Category: Blade (Movie Series)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-01
Updated: 2014-09-24
Packaged: 2018-01-21 12:29:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 38,060
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1550480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tobi_Boone/pseuds/Tobi_Boone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Drake is brought back after the climactic end of Blade Trinity by a VERY old friend.<br/>((Re-uploaded from fanfiction))</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> N'kay, if you watched the alternative ending for the Trinity movie you would know that Drake shape-shifted into Blade's form at the last second so the Nightstalkers could get away from the Feds. This work was originally on FanFiction under my username. Now it is here.

"Will you hurry the fuck up?" The tall vampire snapped, "It's not like I have all night."

"Of course you don't, sir." a familiar assured, dragging the body-bag behind him with the help of other familiars, "We're trying."

The vampire leaned forward, his face mere inches from the familiar, "Try harder, human."

"Yes, sir!" The human's eyes widened and he didn't even belong to this particular vampire.

It never ceased to amaze how quickly loyalty shifts when you hold an Ace up your sleeve, his clawed fingers brush the bag tenderly,

"Don't worry my love, we will be together again." He whispers in the ancient language.

* * *

He stood in the empty warehouse, glancing around at each glyph he'd scrawled in his own blood. Yes, it was ready, he nodded and the body of Lord Dracula, the Dragon, his Drake was brought into the center circle while he sealed his wrists and tugged off his shirt.

The humans stared at him, mouths gaping like brainless little goldfish.

"Is there something you wanted?" He narrowed his eyes, mere seconds from ripping some hearts out.

"Are those . . . glyphs?" One asked, pointing weakly at the vampire's chest.

The vampire blinked, then looked down at his muscular chest and stomach, at the swirls and tribal designs, all of them composed of tiny letters in the ancient vampire tongue, and grinned wolfishly,

"Heavens no, we needed to keep a record and this seemed like the best way. Books and scrolls can be burned, just ask Alexandria, but a body as indestructible as mine will last for thousands of years and it already has." He chuckled then waved to the door, "Leave now."

They tripped over themselves to the exit, the vampire snorted and looked back to his body, running a finger over a delicate and almost unreadable (it was in such small print) line of words. A record of rituals, to be precise, his creator had been very inventive and now it was time to put it all to the test.

He walked over to the body and began to recite the words, closing his eyes and kneeling as the trance took over and he could hear the very air thrum with electricity. The ground begin to quake and he felt a jolt as his blood sacrifice was accepted. It was working.

No sooner had he thought this and opened his eyes to check his progress than a pair of fangs sank deep into his neck, wresting an aggravated snarl out of his throat, he pushed Drake back,

"You bastard, a simple 'hello' or 'thank you' would suffice, I'm more than a little drained from the ritual to resurrect your sorry ass!" He hissed, clapping a hand to his throat, stemming any further blood loss.

Drake blinked at him, sliding a perfect pink tongue over his chin and lapping up a blood droplet that threatened to escape.

"You taste delicious, as always . . . It's good to see you're still dead, Anubis." Drake leaned forward and swiped some blood off the other man's neck with his tongue, "I've missed you."

"Like hell you did." Anubis snarled, shoving him back onto the ground, "I've just been standing around with my thumb up my ass because you told me to wait. Well, look at where that got you, dickhead."

"Using the modern language more freely, are we?" Drake stares evenly, his eyes changing color from bright red to a soft blue, this was the color Anubis liked best.

"Stop that, I'm not finished being pissed at you." Anubis pointed a clawed finger at Drake, "You would still be an incredibly useless cadaver if not for me and I was thoroughly fed-up when you started flaunting yourself for that day-walker. You are _such_ a whore."

"Takes a one to know one." Drake said softly, using a phrase he'd heard Jarko say once.

"What does that even- Nevermind!" Anubis rolled his eyes and stood up, glaring down at Drake, "I just hope you appreciate the hoops I've had to jump through, it's maddening at how far our race has fallen."

Drake stood up, crossing his arms and looking around, "It is. It truly is. But, let's be not dwell on it for too long."

"Of course," Anubis nodded, holding out some clothes, "That is why I have a few plans for us, if you wish to do something about it."

"Plans?" Drake raised an eyebrow and slid into the proffered garments.

"We must cleanse our species, Drake, rid it of it's impurities, eugenics, as it were." Anubis nodded, his pale green-blue eyes almost white in the dim light.

"Fire the steel until it is perfect." Drake smirked, "I like this plan."

"I know, come along." Anubis slipped his own shirt back on and led the way into the bright sunlight.

* * *

 

Anubis sat by himself in a little park, watching the sky as clouds passed in front of the sun, closing his eyes and sighing at the sweet warmth that the summer had to offer. He was the first vampire turned by Drake, or at least, the first that had lasted long enough to talk about, and he was almost as perfect as his master, albeit, he could not shape-shift, but the sun was his and the other abilities that Drake passed on. The mere shadows of the nocturnal race this century did not even come close to them, those creatures were weak and greedy, sulking in dark shadows and groveling at whoever was in power.

"So human." Anubis mused, running a hand through short, dark hair, "So very human."

"Anubis."

He looked over, pulled from his thoughts by the tall, muscular Drake, "Yes?"

"Let's go, I've found them."

Anubis smiled, standing to fall into step with his liege-lord, "I thought you might. I still can honestly not believe that you agreed to stay with those creatures that dare call themselves vampires."

"It was out of necessity and I admit," Drake ducks his head to examine a claw, "I was curious to see how my descendants were fairing."

"Were you as disappointed as I was? Truly, I often wonder what you were thinking, passing on your gift so readily." Anubis sighed, his eyes facing forward.

"As per usual, I have listened to you too late." Drake muttered, he'd switched to the ancient tongue.

Anubis responds in kind, "Please, my Lord, I was not all right, if you recall, I had hoped for a new world order as well."

"Would that not have been more efficient?" Drake asked, looking at his companion.

"Apparently not, vampires today whore out their fangs to whatever presents itself, I doubt your presence alone would have been enough, to be honest." Anubis chuckled.

"'Whore out their fangs'? Hm, perhaps vampire-ism has become an STD." Drake sighed heavily, the world weighing down his shoulders.

"Perhaps, but we have the cure for it."

They said nothing for a bit.

Anubis smirked, "Admit it, me saying 'whore' excites you."

"A little."

* * *

 

Hannibal and Abigail could not have prepared themselves for this, not in a thousand years, when Drake and another tall vampire stepped into their presence after a hunt.

"Holy fuck!" Hannibal's gun was up and he fired a round at them, only to realize too late that they were now standing on his other side.

"Hm, so quick with the shooting. I hate that." Anubis growled, grabbing the gun and wrenching it out of the human's grasp, nearly snapping the delicate bones in Hannibal's wrist.

"How are you still alive?" Abigail leveled an arrow at Drake, her eyes narrowed as she trained in on his chest.

"You think I can't be raised from the dead, Abigail Whistler?" He asked, his voice soft as silk, he advances slowly, thrilling at her heart jumping in her chest.

"Drake, remember, we need them." Anubis sighed, holding tightly onto Hannibal's hair, ignoring the fists that were bouncing off his chest and stomach.

"Need us? For what?" Abigail asked, not lowering the compound bow, even though Drake had his chest mere centimeters from the bolt's point.

"To kill the so-called vampires of the 21st century." Anubis sighed, as if that was obvious enough.

"We are disgusted with them and we want to eliminate them. All of them." Drake kept his ruby eyes on Abigail, she lowered the bow, much to his surprise.

"You want to kill the vampires?"

"We're proposing total genocide. You're very slow, for a human." Anubis commented, letting go of Hannibal when something small hit the back of his leg, "Ow!"

A little girl glared up at him and she kicked him again. Anubis snarled and was about to do something about this new annoyance. Then Drake growled a warning and swooped past Anubis, his hands spread on either side as if to protect the small human.

"Don't, she's just a girl." Drake growled, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Anubis blinked, a little startled by Drake's protectiveness over a human child, but then, he was a sentimental fool. So Anubis shrugged and crossed his arms,

"Really, we're looking for Blade, but it would seem as though you haven't see him in some weeks." Anubis turned his sharp eyes on Abigail who was now tense with Drake being so close to the girl.

"Zoe," She said carefully, holding out her hand for the girl, "Come here."

The girl, Zoe, blinked at the woman, then she looked at Drake, who was watching her, his head tilted to the side as if thinking very hard. Then she looked at Abigail,

"It's alright, he isn't the Gnome King."

"Gnome King?" Anubis raised an eyebrow, "Do I even want to . . . Drake?"

Drake was kneeling in front of Zoe, mouth opened slightly, "You remember me, little one?"

"Yes, but I was wrong, you aren't the Gnome King." Zoe nodded, her eyes betrayed no fear, nothing that Anubis expected, just a calmness uncharacteristic of a human in such close proximity to Drake.

Drake leaned forward, his bright eyes changing color slowly to a subtle brown, he was about to say something, his lips pursing suddenly and he stands up, turning back to the adults in the group,

"Either you help us or you are in our way. I know you don't have any more of the Daystar, so you are powerless against me. What will it be?" Drake's eyes were red-edged-hazel again as he crossed his arms.

"What assurance do we have that you two won't fuck us over?" Hannibal asked, eyes darting to another gun on a table.

"Hm, alright, if you start to get suspicious, you can kill Anubis." Drake said smoothly.

Anubis jolted visibly, his eyes snapping to the other vampire in shock, "Excuse me?"

"Why would killing him hurt you?" Abigail asked, still watching Zoe, "He's just another vampire."

"Anubis, take off your shirt." Drake ordered, his voice soft.

Anubis nodded slowly and obliged.

"What you see here is thousands of years of history. I would not willingly give up the only records I have of important rituals. You must know my fetish for history, my utmost respect for the past." Drake gestured to the swirling lines of words scrawled across Anubis's flesh, his fingers ghosting over a pattern on the left pectoral.

"Not much choice, is there? Alright." Hannibal said, but in reality, it was very obvious that he could not see any other way out of this.

"Then we've reached an understanding?" Drake held out his hand, which Hannibal took after only a few seconds hesitation then let go almost immediately.

* * *

 

Anubis was tinkering with their weaponry when Drake sidled into the room, turning the music down, and standing quite close to his companion.

"Drake, touch my music again, and I promise I will test this on you." Anubis snarled, not looking up at him as he reached over and cranked the radio up again.

"For a minion, you certainly are uppity to your master." Drake commented, sitting up on the workbench, his bare feet dangling.

"Perhaps, _master_ , this loyal wretch doesn't like being used as a pawn at negotiations. I thought I'd earned _some_ respect, if nothing else." Anubis began soldering a piece into place, "Fuck off."

"Not until you acknowledge me." Drake leaned forward, it was true, he'd never actually felt that Anubis was his servant or valet or anything. If there was any doubt of his loyalty, Drake couldn't see it, this man had seen some of Drake's lowest, darkest moments. They'd been through too much to be simply master and slave, besides, he was a damn good lay.

There was no sound except the sparking metal, what Anubis referred to as 'music', and the hiss-snap of the soldering gun, finally, Anubis set his instrument down and turned to Drake, sliding his goggles up onto his forehead,

"What?" He growled, light eyes narrowing.

"You're acting strangely." Drake pointed out, his hand reaching out to touch Anubis's chin, pinching it lightly between his thumb and the knuckle of his index finger, "First you seem relieved to have me back, now you're angry with me. Do you need some Midol, a tampon perhaps?"

Anubis roared, leaping forward and pinning him to the wall opposite,

"Listen carefully, Drake, I utterly refuse my masculinity to be questioned by anyone, especially you. Leave me be, I have work to do and you are getting in my way." He growled, eyes blazing furiously, "Be gone with you."

Drake sighed and slowly moved out of the room, "I see, you're busy and I'm interrupting, but when you want a fuck, don't come crying to-"

Drake dodged a heavy wrench as it flew by his face and sunk into the wall.

* * *

 

"Why were you with the vampires?"

Drake looked up at the little girl, Zoe. He was up on the balcony of their little HQ, the vampire lord set the book he was examining down and sighed,

"They were supposed to be my people." He calmly explained, his eyes shifting to the green again.

"You aren't a vampire." Zoe sat down a few feet away from him.

"Are you so sure?" Drake asked, curious despite himself.

"Mnhm, you have fangs . . . but, you go out during the day and your skin isn't cold. Vampires are supposed to be cold because they're dead, Hannibal said so. You aren't a vampire." Zoe repeated, looking at the book he was holding, "That's my mom's. Can you read it?"

Drake looked down at it, the book was in Braille, so he hadn't yet figured out how to read it, then he remembered the blind woman he'd killed not long ago, Zoe's mother, "No, I don't understand it."

"I can teach you. Mom was showing me how to read it too." Zoe came closer, closer than any human had ever dared.

Drake blinked at her, what was it that made this little girl so fearless? Her heart wasn't racing, she wasn't sweating, and her body language was relaxed to the point of being insulting to his reputation.

"I'd . . . like that." Drake held out his hand, offering the book to her.

"No, I have to _show_ you, put your fingers on the words." Zoe opened the cover and pointed at the string of raised dots.

Drake pressed his first two fingertips on the page. To his surprise, Zoe put two of her little fingers above his and started to lead him across the page,

"' _And the gnome king, who never tried to be good, was very bad indeed_ '," She read as their fingers slid over the Braille, "See?"

Drake nodded slowly, closing his eyes to better understand the strange language on the page.

After a few minutes of reading to him, Zoe sat back and they looked at each other,

"You aren't a vampire. I know you aren't." She said again, more firmly this time.

"Perhaps I am not."

* * *

 

Drake laid back on the couch, his eyes watching the smoke as it curled away from his cigarette, he'd found he really liked smoking, it helped pass the time and cigarettes tasted interesting.

"You picking up more filthy habits?"

He looked over to see Anubis wiping grimy hands on an already grimy rag.

"Speaks the man covered in grease." Drake pointed out, "We'll be leaving for a hunt soon."

"So I heard." Anubis sat on the edge of the couch, his greenish-blue eyes focusing on the other vampire, then he reached over and plucked the smoke out of Drake's lips and set it between his own. He inhaled deeply and then exhaled in a long, gray stream.

"Hm, you are a natural." Drake chuckled, sitting up and scooting slowly behind his companion.

Anubis raised an eyebrow and snubbed the cigarette out in an ashtray on the the rickety coffee table, watching the man with mild curiosity.

Drake lowered his mouth onto Anubis's neck, kissing wetly, "That bitch, Danica, couldn't compare to you . . . Anubis." He breathed out the name, sending a shiver through Anubis.

"I can only imagine." The other mumbles, his eyes closing slightly as he leaned back a bit.

"She was so pushy and greedy . . . she wanted to satisfy me, but I have more sophisticated tastes, my palate was besmirched by her watery blood, her pale, cold body." His fangs scrape slowly against some exposed flesh just below the soft hair on Anubis's neck, "I crave something of a different vintage to cleanse my fangs with. Something sweet and warm."

Anubis laughed softly in the back of his throat, his hand reaching back to cup Drake's face, "I see, and what brand would you like, my liege?"

"Chateau de Anubis, circa two thousand BC." He growls, his hands latching onto hipbones with a force that would have crushed them if Anubis were human, or even a modern-day vampire.

"Ah, I . . . I think I have something . . . in that collection." Anubis gasps, his body jerking violently with surprise.

Drake chuckled thickly, his fangs sliding into all-too-willing flesh and is rewarded by a flow of tangy blood, he groans, having missed Anubis's particular flavor, it mixed arousal with fear and adrenaline and passion to produce an alluring cocktail that makes Drake's teeth itch and his groin throb.

Anubis didn't move at all, his whole body tensing as the fangs dipped in, then he relaxes, sighing with relief at the familiarity of his Drake being this close and knowing that he did prefer Anubis over that skinny vampress. It isn't long before a hand was on his crotch, tugging lightly, but insistently at the denim jeans.

"Drake, we . . . we don't have time for that." Anubis mumbled, closing his eyes.

Drake huffed in his ear but sat back, licking the wounds until they stopped bleeding and moved to the side more. They sat there in silence, Anubis starts when Drake's hand went to the back of his head, absently stroking the short strands.

"You cut your hair." He says softly, not looking at Anubis.

"Yes."

"I don't like it this short. Grow it out again, please."

"Your hair is short . . . Well, I suppose, since you asked nicely, I can do that." Anubis sighs, tilting his head back into the light touch.

* * *

 

"Hey, you guys ready or what?" Hannibal asked, smacking a name-tag onto his vest.

Anubis leaned forward to read it, "'Hello, my name is: FUCK YOU', are you serious?"

"Is Soylant Green made of people?" Hannibal slid his gun into the belt holster, "You staying here with Zoe, Abby?"

"No," Abigail walked into the room, doing her hair up in a ponytail, "I thought you were."

They all stare at each other,

"Don't look at me, I babysit Drake, not some little human girl who kicked me in the shin."

"I'll do it." Drake offers, looking like he genuinely wanted to help.

"NO!" Hannibal and Abigail snapped at the same time.

Anubis winced, wiggling a claw in his ear, "Must you yell?"

" _I'll_ stay with her." Hannibal said, "My shoulder was tweaking earlier anyway, will you be okay with those two?"

"We are standing right here." Anubis rolled his eyes irritably.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She nodded, looking warily at Drake and Anubis.

* * *

 

The SUV traveled down a back street at a cautious seventy miles per hour speed.

"I don't get it, you won't leave either of us with the child, yet you feel confident enough to be alone with _both_ of us? Explain this to me, Miss Whistler." Anubis leaned forward in his seat, "And, while you're at it, tell me why _I'm_ in the backseat."

"I don't trust you with a defenseless child. Besides, you killed her mother." Abigail said softly, the last comment directed at Drake, her knuckles bloodless on the steering wheel.

"Fair enough, but if we'd meant any of you harm, you'd be dead already." Drake pointed out, gazing out the window, "Where are we going?"

"There's been a night club downtown that was supposed to be abandoned, but since Blade's disappearance to places unknown, the leeches have gotten bolder and are re-inhabiting their old haunts."

"Wonderful, my fangs are itching for a full meal." Anubis said, sitting back and playing with an Ipod of questionable origins.

"Meal? What are you talking about?" Abigail wrinkled her brow in confusion.

"Vampires nowadays are so close to humans that we can actually feed off them, we just need to consume more than a normal hunt." Anubis expounded, putting his feet on Drake's headrest.

"Really?" Abigail looked back at him.

"Really." Drake murmured, resting his chin on his fist and staring out the window.

* * *

 

The club was overly-crowded and Anubis cringed when any of those _animals_ got too close.

"Gods, I can't stand them, little insects." He snarled, his eyes glinting in irritation.

"You're fine." Drake put a hand on Anubis's back, urging him forward, then he looked behind him, ensuring that Abigail was still visible, "When?"

"In fifteen seconds." She muttered, sliding her ear-buds into her ears.

One look and Anubis and Drake both snapped into action, grabbing the nearest half-breed and tearing into their throat. It wasn't as much fighting as it was running and screaming and ashes falling out of one's mouth when the prey was drained. A few victims later and both males were sated and ready to finish the job.

Anubis was quickly bored by how pitiful it all was and released his blades, these were of his own design, they clicked out of sheathes on the outside of his forearms. They were short, silver-edged, and deadly, meant for stabbing and slicing in close quarters. Drake kept to his old sword (recovered thanks again to Anubis, he'd have to reward his mate when this was done, repeatedly), running right at the enemy with full battle cry and slicing them to pieces.

The whole thing only lasted minutes, but it had felt even longer. Abigail, Drake, and Anubis stood among ashes and blood (damn familiars tasted almost as bad as their masters), panting softly and bodies buzzing with stale adrenaline.

"Yay team." Abigail muttered, turning on her heel and exiting.

"I don't understand these Nightstalkers, Drake, they take no pleasure in these hunts." Anubis sighed, sheathing his blades and following after her.

"Maybe because it isn't a hunt so much as a massacre." Drake shrugged, sliding his sword into it's scabbard.

* * *

 

They got back to HQ in time to hear the ending theme to a children's movie, Hannibal and Zoe both fast asleep in front of the TV, a bag of cheese puffs and some soda cans scattered about.

"Ah, good to see he's holding down the fort." Anubis chuckles, walking past to turn off whatever Hannibal had been inundating the child's mind with.

Abigail looked down at the two, her hand trailing over Zoe's cheek gently. Drake knelt forward, startling Abigail, his lip flipped up a little as he sniffed the girl, his head tilting curiously.

The Nightstalker at his side was carefully reaching for her UV arch. He reached out his hands and scooped Zoe up, he was about to carry her to bed, when Abigail got in his way, pointing a gun at his head,

" _Put her down_."

Drake blinked at the gun, then at Anubis who had stiffened, his fangs bared, "I'm just taking her to her room."

"I'll do it." Abigail held out her arm, still aiming the gun at him.

"I'm already doing it." Drake growled, softly so he wouldn't wake Zoe. Then he turned, knowing she wouldn't shoot him while he was holding the child and brought the girl up the stairs to the makeshift room.

It wasn't what he imagined most little girls' rooms to look like, a small bed with plain comforter, tarp walls with pictures taped to them, and only a few toys that looked like they'd come out of a charity bin.

 _More like a refugee's room_ , He thought, but then, Zoe was a refugee in this continuous battle between the Nightstalkers and the vampires. Drake vainly attempted to smother the memory of his contribution to all this.

He stared at these humbler than necessary accommodations before moving to the bed and pulling the covers back. Drake set Zoe down gently, pulling the blankets up to her chin, his eyes watching her little face twitch in her dreams, hoping that hers were only happy visions, not the one's he had that were dark and bloody. Children should only have sweet dreams of summer and the warm sun on their faces. He ran the back of his hand over her cheek, gauging her reaction and was surprised when she mumbled unintelligible things, tilting her face toward him.

"You don't think I'm a vampire . . . " He said softly, continuing to tucking her long, brown hair behind her small ears, "Then, what do you think I am? Do you know I was the one that . . . "

He stood up, quickly and silently, and left the 'room', sliding the tarp back into place and walking quietly past Abigail, who was watching him with a look of apprehension and she was about to open her mouth to say something, but thought better of it and went into the girl's room.

* * *

 

"I'm getting soft."

Anubis looks up at him, setting the book he'd found down, "You're just realizing that now?"

Drake glances at him as he pulls his shirt over his head, eyebrow arching, "Are you insinuating something?"

"No, just that normally, we would have gone off ourselves and taken on this most pressing crusade without them or Blade. You've seen something in these humans, I can tell, and the child intrigues you immensely." Anubis leaned back into the pillow on the bed in their room (it was obvious to all concerned as to the nature of their relationship, so no one questioned him when Anubis moved in with Drake) and watched him with lustful interest.

Drake sat on the edge of the bed, staring at Anubis over his shoulder, "What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that you are very attractive and sexy and tasty-looking. I'm thinking that I'm more than just a little horny. And, I'm thinking that this bed might not be stable enough for what else I'm thinking about." Anubis's hand travels suggestively up Drake's back, then back down to tug on his pant's waist.

Drake's lips quirked lightly in the corner on one side in a smirk, he slowly pulled his legs up onto the bed to crouch on all fours over Anubis, licking his lips slowly, "So, that's what you're thinking, funny, I had thoughts along those lines as well."

Anubis snarls playfully, leaning up to lick at Drake's lips, shoving inside, running his tongue over Drake's fangs, he wrapped his leg around Drake's and starts to rub against him. Drake chuckled into his mouth as he lowers himself onto Anubis, his hands gripping the pillow and Anubis's shoulder, forcing his head to the side with his chin,

"You can't seriously still be hungry?" Anubis asks, his hands on Drake's shoulders, sliding them over the back, then leaning forward to slip under the pants and grip ass.

"Not for blood." Drake growls, his voice thick with sex.

"Good, because I want to fuck without passing out." Anubis shifted his weight on the mattress, his leg moving a little to pull the knee over the back of Drake's crotch, causing the vampire to snarl excitedly and back up.

"Take off your clothes. Now." Drake huffed, undoing his belt, the corners of his eyes tightening with frustration at the bother of clothing.

"As you wish." Anubis throws his shirt across the room and pulls his pants down with some difficulty over his erection. Drake grabs a pant-leg and yanked hard, pulling the jeans off and making Anubis whine.

Drake then snarled, throwing himself back down on Anubis and pushing in with an exasperated huff, his hips rolling with a vicious energy.

Anubis grunts in surprise, closing his eyes and stretching out on the much-too-small bed, damning their situation, "I was hoping reunion to be smothered in rose petals and surrounded by candles, this is simply back-room fucking."

"Hopeless romantic, that's what you are." Drake sat up, grabbing at Anubis's hips and plowing into him, his knees pressing imprints into the mattress, "Better than nothing."

"Well, if I hadn't bothered to bring you back, I could've still fucked your corpse." Anubis shrugs as best one could in this situation.

" _You_ fuck _me_? Glad I would've been dead or I might have died of embarrassment." Drake mutters. He leaned forward, causing Anubis to hiss and arch, tearing at his middle with claws and spilling thick, dark blood onto them. There was a shudder as they came, hard and fast before collapsing.

Anubis set to licking the wounds he'd caused while Drake rolled onto his back,

"You've made a mess." He points out, his fingers running through his mate's short hair.

"Mmhm." Anubis doesn't look up.

"I'd suggest a shower, but you seem content to clean me up, so I'll skip it."

"You like it." The dark-haired vampire looked up with his bright eyes and dilated slit-pupils.

"So do you, apparently."


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> When things are italicized it's a flashback cuz I can't make the screen do the ripple effect. 8D

"I don't like this." Hannibal said softly, watching Drake sit with Zoe so close to him, they were reading Sommerfield's Oz books together. The two ancient vampires had been with the group for several weeks now and the effort to find Blade was ongoing, but it shouldn't have taken this long to find a guy so conspicuous.  
"We don't have much choice, King." Abigail sighed, attempting to quell her own feelings of anxiety, "If we tell him to fuck off, he could kill us. I don't much like it either, but we're screwed if we do and screwed if we don't."  
"But, what happens when, if, they finish the job?" Hannibal asked, "What happens when there are no more vampires?"  
"We go back to sleep."  
The humans jump and whirl around, Anubis had leaped off the landing above to land directly behind them. His eyes watching them with interest,  
"Don't worry about the future, he knows what he's doing. And don't worry about the girl, she fascinates him. I doubt he would let any harm come to her, especially not when the original plan of that Danica woman was to kill all your friends and he brought Zoe back with him." Anubis shrugged, "I would not fear for her safety. He will protect her."  
The two Nightstalkers stare at him suspiciously.  
"You doubt my word? Well, I can't blame you, I've only ever uttered the truth thus far." Anubis shrugged and walked away, hands in his pockets.

* * *

 

It wasn't so much that they were vampires, it couldn't be just that, there shouldn't be fear, not with how many pale leeches these humans had killed. Anubis lay there on the small bed, trying to remain still until the sun went down, but it was so damn uncomfortable, so instead, he backs up into the warmth of Drake and closes his eyes, remembering so long ago, when he was a mercenary for kings . . .

  
_He laid there on silken sheets, a soft pillow under his head, watching the Euphrates through a large, rounded mosaic window, the thin gauzy curtains fluttering in the light breeze. Anubis sighed with contentment, stretching out in his lap of luxury, this was the life, truly. The king, Nebuchadnezzar, had been quite generous with their payment after the long string of battles, this particular alliance was going very well._   
_Anubis smiles, eyes falling onto the ornate table with plates of gold laden with dates, olives, pomegranates, and spiced meats. The pitchers of wine were silver, the finest the king could offer. He continued to scan the room with its paintings and drapery, the huge bed filled with goose down, the clothing made from silk and dyed in fine blues, reds, and purples. He stretched again, sighing happily like a cat, a rich man's cat._   
_"Enjoying yourself?"_   
_Anubis looks around lazily, smiling drowsily at his Drake who was dressed in elegant robes of silk with a scarlet sash and a thin gold circlet on his head, his sword thrust through the sash._   
_"Quite." Anubis chuckles, shifting so the sheets drape across his waist, their thinness barely concealing how very pleased Anubis is to see him._   
_"You've been in bed for all day now, you're going to get fat." Drake reaches out a hand to pinch the bit of skin over Anubis's stomach, then tugging lightly on a black pearl adorning the navel._   
_"I am not." Anubis smacks away the hand playfully, then rolls onto his side to pluck a date off one of the plates and slides it into his mouth, chewing slowly as the sweet fruit flavors his tongue, "The way you lounge about, I'd say you're ready for retirement."_   
_"No." Drake shakes his head, smiling as he traces a line of unfinished script on Anubis's hip, "Not for me, I will not retire from this work. It pays too well, besides, I like seeing you pampered so."_   
_"Pampered? Hm, I suppose this is a far cry from the fishing village you brought me from." Anubis laughs, allowing Drake's fingers to explore his midriff._   
_"We shall have to finish these." Drake murmurs absentmindedly, his hand trailing up to the shoulder, the neck, tangling in the long black locks._   
_"Not now, please, my love?" Anubis mumbles, his eyes closing._   
_"Hm, alright, I suppose I could do some more when you are not so indisposed." Drake continues to run his hand through the long strands, reveling at their sleekness, their soft, feathery feel in his hand, "You are adapting well to this lifestyle."_   
_Anubis looks up sheepishly, his eyes, the same churning green-blue as the river outside, hidden behind long lashes, "Is that a problem?"_   
_"No," Drake moves to finger the small gold hoops in Anubis's ear, hearing them jangle softly as they bounce off one another, "It suits you, I think, all these pretty things and bright jewels. Yes, you are a little princess, aren't you?"_   
_Anubis's eyes harden, turning from a playful river to an angry sea, "I am not a woman."_   
_"Of course not, my mistake," Drake chuckles, he enjoys nothing more than teasing Anubis into a rage, knowing that it always leads to one thing, "You are simply the most beautiful man in all Babylonia."_   
_Anubis sits up, his once-smiling face changed into a fierce scowl, his long hair falling down his shoulders in a shimmering black cascade, "Tell me, who has the sweetest blood?"_   
_"You do." Drake smiles, knowing exactly where Anubis is taking this._   
_"Who," Anubis pulls the sheet back and kneels in front of the older vampire, "Is the most satisfying in bed?"_   
_"You are." Drake leans back, his sword set aside along with the circlet._   
_"And, who has remained faithful to you, even when some very tasty proposals have passed under his nose?" Anubis's hands press against Drake's chest, pushing the tunic apart to expose muscular chest with a glyph scarred into it, his expression still determined, alerting to Drake that he was about to prove it._   
_"You have." Drake nods, running his hand down Anubis's side to his hip._   
_"Who loves you with all his heart?" Anubis breathes, his lips brushing Drake's jaw, the sweet smell of dates still lingering on his breath._   
_"You, precious." Drake murmurs, pulling Anubis on top of him._   
_Anubis nods, satisfied with Drake's answers and pushes his lips against Drake's, tongue sliding forward to give him a taste of the dates, brushing against fangs to produce droplets of blood that seem to spark a fire in the older vampire who growls and pushes Anubis back into the bed._   
_"Oh, well, now that I have your attention." Anubis snaps, he always got a little jealous with Drake, the way that all those women simper over him, trying to please him with dancing and exposed breasts. There was always a moment of triumph when he would follow Drake to bed and see the grave disappointment of those little women, he almost couldn't stop from smirking at them and taking Drake's hand out of spite._   
_"Don't, you look ugly with a scowl on." Drake growls, shrugging out of his clothes and straddling Anubis's hips, "I hate ugly men."_   
_"Hmph." Anubis pouts a little, knowing that that will get Drake more in the mood, his legs wrapping tightly around the narrow waist._   
_"Better." Drake nods, his fangs scraping lightly over the carotid, drawing the tiniest amount of blood._

* * *

 

"So, how old are you?"  
Anubis looks up slowly from the designs for a new weapon, "Quite old."  
"Like a few hundred years?" Hannibal leaned back on the workbench.  
"Heh," Anubis smiled, setting his pencil down, "Try a few thousand years, I was born long before Christ himself. I fought in several major battles all over the Mediterranean and Europe."  
"Really?" Hannibal's eyes brightened with interest despite himself, "So, you've seen a lot?"  
"I traveled all over the old world and I've seen many things from the the first Olympics to the crucifixion of Christ." Anubis leaned back, "Though, Egypt was my favorite retreat."  
"So, where are you from?"  
"Modern day England, my clan traveled there to establish a fishing village . . . Drake found us on an expedition." Anubis ran a hand through medium-length black hair thoughtfully, "He offered to turn me, offered me a chance to leave that horribly cold place and see the world. And I took it."  
"Why?"  
"I had nothing, Hannibal." Anubis said softly, "We became mercenaries. Hired swords for some of the most powerful men of the age."

* * *

 

_They stood on the battlefield in the aftermath, staring around at all the dead and dying, Anubis's eyes spark from behind the protection of his helm._   
_"Thermopylae, 'Hot Gates', how appropriate, it does remind me of Hell. Quite the massacre."_   
_Drake nods, sliding his own helmet off to gaze at all the Persians that died, along with the fallen of Hellos, though the ratio made the sacrifice of the three hundred Spartans and seven hundred countrymen look like a pittance compared to the Immortals who still drew breath._   
_"We have lost this fight." He mutters, stabbing a corpse again, watching rotting blood ooze onto the craggy rocks._   
_"We are alive, we did not loose." Anubis argues, his helm now under his arm, the black hair falling past his shoulders, tangled and grimy with sweat and blood._   
_"Yet, our pay will not be coming. Look, there is our paymaster, Leonidas." Drake stares at his companion, one hand reaching out to wipe some blood off of Anubis's cheek, missing how fine he'd looked, sprawled out on soft sheets and adorned with gold and jewels._   
_"What a waste of bravery and good leadership. Luckily, there is always someone looking for a pair of swords to clean up some mess." Anubis sighs, "Can we go back to Egypt? I'd like to visit my temple."_   
_"Ha," Drake chuckles, leaning back to clean his sword on the corpse's leather armor, "Your temple? Of course, Anubis, we will go back to Egypt, if you wish. I'm more than certain the pharaoh will welcome us back."_   
_"Then, let's go." Anubis turned away from the dead bodies, tired of death and destruction._   
_Drake watches him as he walks, the slight swing of the hips, the way he brushes his hair over his shoulder, yes, Anubis was meant for a life of indulgence, not this. Not the death that they were required to deal out in order to receive that luxury, not the pain of wounds or the noise of battle. He thought how he would much rather keep Anubis in Egypt, away from all this, keep him in a palace where his eyes will never dull with indifference or fill with self-loathing at simply killing a human and not putting the body to good use as food._   
_Drake follows, digging into his belt pouch and shaking out several Denari,_   
_"Well, we have enough for passage. By land or sea, Anubis?"_   
_Anubis seemed to consider for a moment, "Sea, Germania is not very stable these days, I'd rather not engage in any more battles."_   
_"Of course, my pet." Drake drops the coins back into the pouch, it would have been cheaper to get horses and the gods knew that Anubis's fine tastes would require_ a _barge instead of a simple vessel (which would have suited Drake just fine)._

* * *

 

Abigail stood in the doorway, her heart in her throat at the sight in front of her, Zoe was fast asleep, leaning back into a sleeping Drake. She slowly, silently took a few steps forward, her hand outstretched, she reached them, her fingers wrapping around Zoe's shirt and was about to pull her away until she looked up into Drake's ruby-tinged hazel eyes.  
Abigail gasped, pulling her hand back and covering her mouth for fear of waking the little girl. Drake slid his arm across Zoe, tilted his head to the side, and growled low in his throat.  
She blinked, her heart thrumming painfully in her chest,  
"Why her?" Abigail asks softly.  
But Drake only shifted his body away from her, pulling Zoe tighter to his chest and closed his bright eyes.

* * *

 

"Why her?" Abigail asked again, standing in the doorway, her eyes on Anubis's back.  
"Why who?" Anubis looks over his shoulder, eyebrow cocked.  
"Zoe, why is Drake so interested in Zoe?" Abigail glared at him, as if he was just being stupid.  
"I don't know, maybe she reminds him of someone?" Anubis sighed and set several boxes over onto a shelf.  
Baffled by this, Abigail carefully watched his progress, "Whatever. Are you . . . uh, going on the hunt."  
"Yep." Anubis leaned back, "You getting any less freaked by us?"  
"No."  
Anubis looked her, "You seem to like Blade just fine, yet we're the ones that-"  
"Drake killed my friends, asshole, Blade was on our side." She snapped.  
"Oh really? Well, let me tell you something, bitch," Anubis slammed down a heavy object (doesn't matter what it was, it shattered into a thousand pieces), "First of all, I was there, you uppity little wench, I watched what they did after Drake left, they strung up her up and sliced her to bits! Then they bit her, spread her blood in that message! And another thing, that half-breed, Blade, how long until he would have given in to the Thirst? I have been a vampire for several thousand years and I have never lost control of myself! Drake was trying to do it with some dignity, he even saved that child! You think you would have been safe with Blade around? Do not disillusion yourself!"  
Hannibal and Drake were standing by the doorway, both alarmed by the shouting, Abigail's eyes were wide and Anubis was puffing with anger like a bull,  
"The Thirst always wins . . . " He said softly, voice dripping with vexation at how easily this fact was overlooked, "No matter what he would've done . . . You were all in grave danger while he was here. How can you . . . feel safe around him when he can't control himself? We've been here for several weeks and have you even once seen us tremble with the strength of the Thirst or looked at you out of hunger? Can you say the same for Blade?"  
Drake slowly made his way into the room, taking several cautious steps toward his mate, "Anubis."  
Anubis snarled, baring his fangs and swinging a clawed hand at him, narrowly missing Drake's cheek. Drake roared and snatched at Anubis's wrist, holding it tightly in his fist, wrenching it back and forcing Anubis to his knees.  
Anubis howled, his fingers scrabbling the hand, switching to the ancient tongue, "Let me go, now!"  
"Not until you calm." Drake hissed, glaring at him.  
Hannibal moved into the room to stand next to Abigail, not sure what to do. There was more quiet snarling, until Anubis subsided into a long whine as his wrist bones strained painfully in Drake's grasp, cradling it to his stomach when the older vampire finally let him go.  
"Never lost control, huh?" Abigail whispered, her eyes still on Anubis.  
"Never, he attacked me, not you, human." Drake muttered, seeming to decide the situation was back to normal and stalked out.  
Anubis looked up slowly, his eyes flashing dangerously at Abigail. If it hadn't been for Drake, she would have been dead on the floor in seconds. He stood up and leaped up onto the rafters, scrambling along them until he reaches the roof, staring out at the cloudy sky, so like his home, cold and predictable, humans were such cowards, such distrustful worms, why was Blade so different from him? Had he ever actually just murdered needlessly or committed such heinous crimes to deserve to be hated? Blade was not the fucking white knight they supposed he was and Drake and Anubis were not the monsters here.  
"I am not an animal." Anubis whispered to himself, "I am not a monster."  
He repeated these words because he felt they were true, death and killing were not something he looked forward to, even when it was necessary, yes, it had been he who suggested the genocidal solution for the vampire problem to Drake, but . . . it didn't change the faces that he met on the 'battlefields', the screams and smells of blood and ash. He had chosen Drake to escape the cold and meaninglessness of his life, to go to exotic places and have fine things, to live and not fear the final abyss. He'd had good reasons, he'd volunteered, he'd given Drake everything, the last drops of his blood, his life, his devotion, his body . . . he was not a monster . . . he was in control.

* * *

 

_"Take a breath."_   
_Tears roll down the young man's face as he looks up from the still-warm body of a younger girl, her throat torn beyond recognition, her eyes glazed and face frozen in the final moments of her life, abject fear._   
_"It's alright, the first feeding is always the hardest." Drake squats down, a finger brushing a tear away, his face full of understanding._   
_"I . . . I killed her." the black-haired vampire whispers._   
_"Yes, to feed." Drake nods, "If you want to live, you must eat."_   
_"But . . . she trusted me to-"_   
_"No, she was a prostitute, she trusted you to take her into an alley and fuck her. That is all." Drake sighs heavily, "Do not think that she had any further expectations. You could have been a murderer, a violent man for all she knew. Better to end her misery, she was dying of some disease anyway, an occupational hazard, it would seem."_   
_The fledgling blinks at Drake, his eyes still brimming with tears then he looks back at the little one is his arms, no older than fifteen. He slowly stands up, letting the body fall and wipes his eyes on his rough sleeve,_   
_Drake chuckles as he stands too, "Of course, you are still young, we must slake your Thirst."_   
_That night, the new vampire slaughtered the entire village, holding in his cries of anguish and self-loathing, fighting back the urge to vomit and run and hide from the beast he'd become. It was sickening, Drake urged him on, whispering words of encouragement, of praise until Anubis began to hate his voice, his face, him._   
_Finally, there was nothing left, mainly because Drake forced him to halt when there was only goats and sheep,_   
_"We don't eat common animals, snakes and cats will make you ill, dogs are alright, but try not to eat them too often, horses and cows are the ones that are similar to humans. But all this if you are too desperate to wait," Drake explains to a silent, blank-eyed fledgling,”Are you listening to me?"_   
_"Yes." he growls, his clothes drenched with blood, his claws had some skin under them, and his fangs were downright sore._   
_"No, you are not." Drake's hand clutches Anubis's shoulder, only to start back as the other whirls around and rips at his clothes._   
_"YOU FUCKING BASTARD, I KILLED THEM ALL!" The boy shrieks, his eyes more murderous than they had been in the heat of blood lust as he grabs onto Drake's tunic, "WHY?"_   
_"It is our way, we must feed and you were allowed to abstain too long before this." Drake calmly takes the boy’s hands and smashes them, producing a howl of agony from his youngling._   
_"But, they were just villagers . . . they weren't soldiers or criminals." He gasps, the keening apparent in his voice._   
_"They were human, you must release your hold on your past, you are not human anymore. Humans are our food. If you wish to survive, you must feed, it does not have to be a killing bite every time, but there is the risk of you siring another vampire." Drake calmly walks to the side of building, staring down at the corpse slumped against it, "I know your heart, you are young and kind and that will get you killed. Harden that heart, do not let them see how it beats for them, or they will find a way to destroy you. It will not always be this difficult or bloody, now that you've fed, you will not need to drain more than one or two humans at a time. I promise I will help you, but you must embrace your decision."_   
_Then the fledgling stands, snapping his bones carefully back and wiggling his fingers, he takes a deep breath and nods, "I am sorry, Lord Dracula . . . I will learn."_   
_Drake smiles, turning to the vampire, "Good, let us go then."_

* * *

 

Zoe climbs up onto the workbench, dumping several pieces of paper and some colored pencils onto the surface. Anubis looks up at her from his new weapon (a grenade that uses silver nitrate and that doesn't explode right away, the delay is necessary during a chase, to get the most vamps), his sea-colored eyes watching her curiously.  
"What is that?" He asks, pointing a gloved finger at the half-finished picture of something.  
"Blade and Abby and King." The little girl points at each figure in turn.  
"I'll take your word for it." Anubis leans forward, resting on his elbow, "Tell me, have you and Drake finished The Emerald City, yet?"  
"Yep, he's getting really good at it." She smiles.  
"You aren't afraid of him?"  
"No, he was nice to me at the vampire house." Zoe keeps on drawing, "They wanted to eat me, but he made them go away, I thought Blade would kill him, but I guess he didn't, so Drake must be good."  
"He would do something like that." Anubis nods slowly, "You remind me of someone we knew a long time ago."  
"Who?" Zoe looks up with curiosity plain on her bright face.  
"A little princess. I forget her name, but you look very much like her."  
"A princess? Like Cinderella?" Zoe's eyes light up.  
Anubis holds in a grimace, remembering the original Grimm's fairytale about the Cinder girl, "Uh, yes, like her."  
"Does that make Drake a king?"  
"I suppose he is a king of some sort." Anubis nods thoughtfully, watching her, "Do you know that he knew many kings in our time?"  
"Like who?" Zoe sat up on the bench, her eyes bright with curiosity.  
"Well, there's Nebuchadnezzar II, and Nero . . . uh, Caesar Augustus and Julius, Solomon, Saul, the heads of the Twelve tribes, although we fought them more often than not, hm, the Egyptian pharaohs, Ramses the first and second, Tutankhamen, Cleopatra, she was a shameless flirt, there were others, I just can't recall their names at the moment." Anubis tapped his chin in thought, glancing at her after awhile, "I have lived in palaces that make Buckingham look like a shack, I've seen princesses that no woman alive can compare herself with in beauty or wit or charm. I have worn clothes so fine, you'd think you were dressed in clouds."  
"What about the food?" Zoe asks, her voice hushed with awe.  
Anubis leans in conspiratorially, "I have tasted food so good, it melts in your mouth. There was such feasting and dancing and-"  
"And the clothes of the men and women so bright and beautiful, you'd think a rainbow was streaming across the room."  
They both looked up to see Drake standing there, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.  
"There was?" Zoe asks, sitting back on her heels.  
"Yes." Drake nodded and stepped into the workshop, "And you, would have been dress in silks with jewels and a tiara made of gold."  
Zoe smiles, hopping off the bench and flouncing over to him, she curtsies sweetly, "Care to dance, your Highness?"  
Drake chuckles and bows elegantly, "Of course, my lady."  
Anubis blinks at this strange display, trying to sort out why it was that Drake cared so much for this small girl. She was charming, for a child, and smart, again, for a child. She accepted him as he was, but . . . who did she remind him of?  
He mused over these imponderables while Drake and Zoe spun around the room, her small sneakers perched on his large boots, her hands in his. He was smiling and she was giggling and Anubis felt a tug at his chest, it had been so long since he'd seen Drake look that happy, that content with the world.

* * *

 

_"A salute, to the mighty Lord Dracula!" The King bellowed and all his subjects raised their glasses, repeating him._   
_"To the mighty Lord Dracula!"_   
_Drake sat back on his cushions, surrounded by woman, a crown on his head and fine clothes covering the strong body underneath. He looked so bored._   
_Anubis sits up a little, tilting his head like a faithful dog unsure of his master's wishes, "Drake, are you enjoying the party?"_   
_Drake gives him one of his best 'are you serious?' looks and waves another pitcher of wine away, it was so dull to him, the endless parties and drinking and horrid human females flaunting at him so shamelessly._   
_"Lord Dracula?" A tiny voice pipes up from one side._   
_Drake's eyes snap into life and he turns quickly, a small hand touching his shoulder lightly,_   
_"Yes, little one?" he purrs, leading the frail child around to stand in front of him._   
_Anubis's heart drops, oh . . . its her._   
_"Can we dance now?" She asks while he gently strokes her long dark hair, her bright eyes were mirrors of his reddish-hazel, her mouth parting in a sweet smile, tiny fangs against ruby lips on exotic skin._   
_"Of course, my dove." He smiles and stands, leading the girl out to where the other dancers are situated meticulously and he lifts her into his arms and begins to twirl her around, laughing and smiling._   
_Anubis blinks, his river eyes watering angrily at how happy Drake was right now, how he could not coax such a reaction, not in all his years with Drake. It wasn't fair how this child could be so precious to him, when the mother had died in childbirth as only a human can. Reasons why his creator forced them to stay close to this palace for so long when nothing enticed his interest, nothing at all, but this child._   
_He sat, brooding in his fine (and rather revealing) silks, gold in his ears and navel, the tattoos that had been painstakingly carved into his otherwise unmarred flesh, long black hair flowing down his shoulders like a dark waterfall, shiny and soft. He had dressed the way Drake liked, ate certain foods to flavor his blood, tried to be perfect. Yet, he was undone by a child._   
_"No more, Ningae," Drake chuckles, settling back onto his seat, the tiny creature climbing into his lap, "I am getting dizzy!"_   
_She laughs, clapping her hands, "Oh, please, Lord Dracula!" She pouts then, "Please, Poppa?"_   
_Anubis wants to scream._

* * *

 

Anubis viciously rips a clawed hand through another vampire, watching it's face in the split second before it vaporizes. Feeling anything but relief at his display of violence, then he almost loses it when he notices that Drake has not yet noticed his foul mood. So, he tears several things in the old warehouse in an attempt to attract the older vampire's attention, smashing a forklift should have gotten him a head turn at the very least!  
"Are you alright? You've been trashing everything in sight." Hannibal stood a wary three feet away, his finger trained on the trigger of his stake gun.  
"I'm fine." Anubis snaps, throwing a heavy box out of his way with a primal snarl, eager for more prey to distract him from what is so fucking obvious.  
"Okay . . . if you're sure." Hannibal watches the box sail through the air and smash on the other end of the building.  
"Go away, King." Anubis growls, turning toward a small pack of vamps who had the audacity to fire several rounds at Anubis, two of which hit their mark, puncturing his chest and shoulder, "You worthless little leeches!"  
With that several more piles of ashen bones were swept away by the wind. Anubis glared down at the holes in his jacket, knowing that the skin would seal, but the tattoos would have to be redone.

* * *

 

"You need to be more careful." Drake said softly, dipping the needle into the blood again and began repairing the damage.  
Anubis snorted and closed his eyes. He was sitting on the table in the 'kitchen', his shirt on the floor and Drake sitting on the chair in front of him, needle in one hand and a small bowl of ink in the other. His eyebrows were furrowed in concentration.  
"I figured out who Zoe reminds you of." Anubis whispered, hissing when the needle pierces his skin. Funny, four bullets get barely a reaction, yet a tiny needle hurts like bitch.  
"Don't." Drake warns, not looking up.  
Anubis sighs and resigns himself to not moving an inch so as not to mess this up anymore.  
"If you get shot again, I'm banning you from hunting." Drake mutters, "I have these records for a reason, so I don't have to remember all this."  
"Ban me from a hunt?" Anubis snaps his eyes up, shifting uncomfortably, "But-"  
"I cannot afford for these to be damaged beyond repair!" Drake snapped, slamming his fist on the table and denting it, "If I say you stay, you stay!"  
Anubis blinks in shock, then his eyes narrow, "As you command, my liege."  
Drake glares at him, the rage not leaving his eyes, "Do not mock me, Anubis, I will not tolerate it. It is for the preservation of these documents and for you."  
"So what? I get to stay home with the brat?" Anubis glares at the wall, fighting the urge to cross his arms because that would have looked so damn childish, "I have seen worse battles than these hunts and I have suffered graver injuries, claiming my safety is not really a believable excuse."  
They were both silent, then Drake stood up and forcibly took Anubis's chin in his hand, making him look,  
"If you dare question me again or if you harm Zoe in any way, I will ensure that you suffer without damaging these marks." He hisses, his breath hot on Anubis's face, then he leans closer, sniffing at the tanned skin of the dark-haired man's jaw, "I will break you, I will not give you what you want. I can be cruel, Drogo."  
Anubis flinches, his whole body trembles with anger only to subside to the utmost sense of sadness at hearing his old name, the name his father gave him, the name he strove to forget, the one his parents had screamed as he ripped their throats out, just like everyone else in his village.  
Drake turned and walked away without another word. Anubis was left to crawl to their bedroom and hide from the faces that haunted him every time he closed his eyes, the people he had known, the people who trusted him . . . all died by his hand.  
He hated Drake almost as much as he loved him, the two sides of his heart warring unlike any other battle he'd ever been in, Anubis struggled to get himself under control, but it wouldn't stop, the tearing sensation in his chest, the tears on his face, it was not fair. Why would Drake hurt him when he only spoke the truth? If he got too involved with these humans, it would not end well.

* * *

 

Hannibal and Abigail stood over the computer screen, scanning until they saw what they needed.  
"Got him." Hannibal points at one, the newspaper picture is blurry, but there was no mistake.  
"Blade." Abigail nods slowly.


	3. Chapter 3

"We've found him."  
Drake looked up slowly from his book, "Who?"  
"Blade," Hannibal explains, "We found him. He's back in the city."  
"Ah," Drake stood up quickly, pulling his jacket on, "Very good, let us go then."  
"Right, I'll get Abigail and- oh, wait, someone has to stay with Zoe." Hannibal bit his lip.  
"I wouldn't leave Anubis on his own right now," Drake muttered, "He isn't himself. I will stay with Zoe."  
Hannibal glances at Drake, trying to decide how best to go about this without getting his throat ripped out.  
"Nothing will happen to her, I swear it." Drake's voice is deathly serious.  
Hannibal shrugs slowly, "I guess it's only for a little while, but, I swear that if anything does happen, Anubis is gonna suck on my stake gun."  
Drake nods, "Understood."  
"Right, okay."

* * *

 

"You agreed to what?!" Abigail almost dropped the stack of books and papers she'd been cataloging.  
"Look, it's only for a little bit, we just have to go and get Blade and-"  
"Hannibal, we can't leaver her with them!" Abigail slammed the stack down on the table, not noticing the huge dent in it caused by Drake only a few hours earlier.  
"Abby, its okay, Drake knows what we'll do if he steps out of line and he swore that he'd protect her!" Hannibal was talking very fast so he could say everything without being interrupted.  
"You are out of your tiny mind!?" Abigail rubbed her forehead in agitation, "Anubis has been _itching_ for a moment with no one around! He'll kill her, he's-"  
"Maybe that's what's wrong with this whole thing."  
She blinked at him, "What?"  
"Maybe we've been going about this all wrong, maybe Drake and Anubis are on our side. Maybe they are telling the truth." Hannibal scratched his cheek thoughtfully, "What if, they really do want to help and the only thing standing in the way is us."  
"They are vampires!" Abigail's eyes widen with disbelief, "They aren't on our side!"  
"Abby," Hannibal puts his hands on her arms, "We put up with Blade, fuck, we're even looking for him and what if Anubis is right and we're better off trusting them than him?"  
There is utter silence as Abigail just stares at him.  
"Trust me, please?" Hannibal murmurs, looking down at her, his eyes softening.  
"Fine, but its on your head." Abigail huffed, pulling away and storming off.  
"Yeah, okay, good talk!" Hannibal smiled, then groaned, face-palming himself, "Idiot, that went _real_ smooth."

* * *

 

"I know you're awake." Drake sits down on the edge of the bed, feeling it give a little under his weight.  
"I am not." Anubis muttered, his back to Drake.  
"They think they've found Blade, so Hannibal and Abigail are going out to look."  
"They're leaving us with the brat?"  
Drake stiffened angrily, closing his eyes to try and keep his temper down, "Yes, we are staying with Zoe."  
"Hmph, fine." Anubis pulled the pillow underneath him, hugging it sulkily.  
"I hope you don't plan on staying here the whole time."  
"And if I do?"  
"I will be forced to take drastic measures."  
"Like what? You already established how far you're willing to-"  
Anubis is cut off when Drake slides on the bed behind him, wrapping his arm around the narrow waist.  
"Don't make me be cruel. I hate to hurt you." Drake whispers, his lips brushing the skin behind Anubis's ear, "Please, don't make me hurt you."  
Anubis shudders, biting his lip, "You know what will happen if you get too close, I won't watch you fall apart again."  
"I won't. It isn't forever."  
"No, not for them it isn't."  
Drake is quiet for a moment, his body pressing into Anubis.  
"I wish nothing but the best for you, Anubis, you gave me so much, I only wished to return that happiness. Now? I can't do anything to replace it all, the palaces, the money, the fame, its gone, I can give you nothing."  
Anubis slowly turns around, "You don't want to hurt me, but you are right now."  
"I am?"  
Anubis nodded, "I love you, even when you hurt me, I don't want any fucking palaces or money or fame. I want you, just you."  
Drake smiled tiredly, his eyes light blue, "You have me."  
"Then, promise me just one thing."  
"What?"  
"When I tell you you're in too deep, we leave and we don't look back."  
Drake blinks slowly, "Alright, I promise."  
"Good, now get off me, I'm still pissed at you." Anubis rolls back over, shoving Drake back, who smiles and gets off the bed.  
"Alright, brood away, I'll be downstairs."  
"Whatever."

* * *

 

"Anubis doesn't like me." Zoe said softly, looking up from eating some cookies.  
Drake leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, "It isn't that he doesn't like you, just worries too much."  
"Oh." Zoe dunks the cookie in some milk before looking at him again, "Is Anubis your girlfriend?"  
Drake snorts, trying to suppress a snicker, "Um, I suppose that is the term they use today. Don't tell him that, though, he gets very defensive about that."  
"I thought Anubis was a girl." Zoe's nose wrinkles in confusion.  
"Uh, no, he's a boy." Drake grimaced, "He does look like a girl, doesn't he?"  
"Yeah," Zoe giggles, chomping on the cookie, "He acts like a girl too."  
"He does?" Drake chuckled, swiping some crumbs onto the floor.  
"Uh-huh, Abby throws fits like that sometimes, when King gets on her nerves. And she storms out, and her face squinches up like that too." Zoe wrinkles her nose and scowls, "Like this."  
Drake laughed out loud, "He does that, yes. Very good imitation."  
"I can do King too, see?" Zoe widened her eyes and plastered a goofy smile across her face, pointing her finger like a gun, "Die, leech! See?"  
"Yes, I see." Drake chuckled, "Can you do me?"  
"Mmnno, you don't do stuff like that." Zoe shook her head, "King and Abby and Anubis all do weird things like that, you don't."  
"Ah, yes, I suppose I don't." Drake nods gravely, rubbing his chin.  
"Wanna cookie?" Zoe holds out one to him  
"Uh," Drake looks at it warily, "I've never had one before."  
"You've never had an Oreo before? They're like, my favorite!" Zoe's eyes got huge, "Here."  
Drake took the cookie between his thumb and forefinger.  
"No, don't eat the whole thing at once!" Zoe holds up a hand, "You gotta twist them apart! See, like this."  
Zoe twisted the two cookies and separated them, exposing the cream middle, then she started to lick it off before mashing the two cookie parts together and stuffing them in her mouth.  
"Like that."  
"Alright." Drake chuckles, and attempts to twist the cookies apart, only to have them break in his hands, "Oh."  
"You just have to practice." Zoe sighs, "Don't do it too hard or they break."  
"Uh-huh." Drake shrugged, stuffing half of the cookie in his mouth, "Hm, not bad."  
"Yeah, they're like awesome, right?" She smiles, handing him another.

* * *

 

Anubis sighed, laying on his back. He slowly sits up, rubbing his back and stretching until it cracks in several places. Well, if he was going to get up, it was probably a good idea to get up now before Blade comes, he had no desire to be laying down when that . . . man got here.  
He padded slowly down some stairs to see Drake and the girl stuffing their faces with cookies.  
"What are you doing?"  
Drake looked up, crumbs in the corners of his mouth, "Nothing."  
"You are such a pig." Anubis sighed, launching over the railing to land in front of them.  
"Takes one to-"  
"Shut it, Drake." He growled, sitting up on the table, "I'm hungry."  
"That's too bad, love, you can't go hunting without me and I have to stay here with Zoe." Drake shrugged, "In other words, stop your whining and suck it up."  
Anubis glared at Drake, then he hopped down and stalked out the door. Fine, he'd go hunting alone, no sense in bothering his lordship with such trifling matters as his starvation, after all.

* * *

 

Anubis dropped the body as it turned to ash, smacking his lips in disgust at how gritty the last dregs had been, he wanted something fresher, something . . . human.  
He smiled, well, what Drake didn't know wouldn't hurt anyone, right?

The human backed away, Anubis had found he was rusty at being subtle, he had not hunted a human being in so long he'd lost the finesse for it. But, that would quickly be remedied, a few quick steps and he had the man held to the wall, head pulled back to expose the neck. He chuckled darkly, looking forward to just one taste of living blood, until of course some asshole had to push a titanium sword with an acid edge through his gut.  
Anubis dropped the human, howling in agony and rage as he grabbed the sword, shoving it out his back again and whirling around, ready to rip the fucker's throat out.  
That is, he was ready, before he saw who was standing there, staring in confusion at him.  
"Blade." Anubis hissed, taking a step back, baring his long fangs in a snarl he hoped would be intimidating enough to buy him a chance to escape.  
"How are you not ash?" Blade asked, staring in disbelief at his sword.  
"Yes, well, I don't like being dust." Anubis knew he was fucked, Blade was advancing and Anubis had only his bare hands to defend himself. Wonderful, the one time he goes somewhere without Drake, he gets in over his head in trouble.  
"Hm." Blade lifted the sword up, readying to try again, he lunged and Anubis leaped into the air, grabbing a fire escape ladder and scrambling up it.  
It wasn't long before he was on the roof of the squat apartment building, panting as he tried to figure out where he would go now and ignore the gaping wound in his belly, until he heard the thump of feet landing a bit behind him. Anubis froze, only daring to slowly turn around when he realized that Blade was unsheathing something.  
"Look, I don't think you want to mess with me, day-walker." Anubis said staring at the stake that Blade looked intent on driving into his delicate skin.  
"You ain't that frightening, for a suckhead." Blade said calmly, twirling the stake before flicking his wrist and the thing buried itself into an unsuspecting vampire's shoulder.  
"Agh! You'll pay for that you bastard!" Anubis shrieked, flinging himself forward to slam his fist into Blade's cheek, sending him flying into the wall of the opposite building, "It isn't that I'm frightening, just that who I'm fucking is."  
Blade peeled himself out of the insulation and brick, landing on the ground far below, just in time for Abigail and Hannibal to show up and start prattling on about what was going on. Anubis panted, clutching his shoulder, damn silver . . . he didn't want to pull it out, even though it burned like a mother, just in case Blade had tampered with it. Of course, then he heard Hannibal's loud, obnoxious voice,  
"Oh, shit, you mean, Anubis is here?"  
"Take your time, I'm only bleeding and in agony up here!" Anubis shouted over the edge of the building, sliding to sit on the cold stone.

* * *

 

"Does that hurt?" Abigail asked in the car.  
"Yes, it fucking hurts, you bitch." Anubis snarled, backing away again, huddling in the corner, he hadn't let anyone touch the stake, out of some animal fear he wanted to wait to take it out, fearing more blood to spill, thus making his whole hunt worthless.  
"Let me-"  
"Don't touch it!" Anubis roared, glaring at her, "Don't touch it!"  
"Alright!" She threw up her hands and moved to sit in the front with Hannibal, "Just trying to help."  
Anubis glared at the back of her head, then he glanced back to the dark car that followed them, cursing that day-walker's rotten guts with each second.

* * *

 

"What have you been doing?" Drake snapped, staring at Anubis's oozing shoulder, his anger rapidly being replaced with concern.  
"Nothing." Anubis growled, trying to shoulder past him.  
"Caught him trying to suck on a human." Blade said, coming to stand very close to Drake, "Good to see you again."  
"Likewise." Drake muttered, then he turned on Anubis, "Is that true?"  
"So what if it is? I wanted something fresh! Dammit, don't touch the fucking stake!" Anubis leaped back as Drake's hand snatched for his shoulder.  
"We agreed!" Drake growled, taking several steps toward Anubis, "We were to keep our word, our honor was bound by that promise!"  
"Fuck your honor!" Anubis yelled, backing away, "This fucking world doesn't give a shit about your fucking honor! Don't touch the- Aagggh!"  
Anubis screamed as Drake pinned him to the wall, ripping the stake out with one vicious yank, reducing the vampire to whimpering sobs as blood spilled down his front. He collapsed against Drake, his slighter frame trembling.  
"Forgive him, he's an imbecile." Drake muttered, tucking Anubis under his arm and dragged him up to their bedroom.

* * *

 

"Not only was that reckless, it was stupid and you've jeopardized our position here." Drake said softly, watching while Anubis lapped at bite marks on his neck. Drake's blood had a healing effect on other vampires, a sort of human blood substitute.  
Anubis didn't look up, his hands clutching at Drake's arm and crotch as his wounds sealed slowly, meanwhile pressing his groin into Drake's leg. It didn't matter that moments ago he'd been shrieking insults about something his master held in the highest regard, that he'd blatantly disobeyed a direct order, all that mattered was that he was here, sucking down Drake's sweet, wonderful blood, panting needlessly into the warm skin while his cock hardened in his pants, and that he was getting a similar reaction in Drake was nice too.  
"I'm sorry, my love." He moaned, moving his hand excitedly.  
"You expecting a reward?" Drake snarled, getting a handful of Anubis's hair and yanking him back to look Drake in the eye.  
"No, punish me, gods, please punish me." Anubis panted, his hands grabbing Drake's arm, "Make me beg for mercy."  
Drake raised his eyebrow, shaking his head, "Are you my slut?"  
"Gods, yes!" Anubis closed his eyes.  
Drake chuckled, shoving Anubis back onto the bed, undoing his belt so forcefully the buckle snapped, instead simply ripping Anubis's jeans off in frustration.  
"I liked those . . . " Anubis muttered, his eyes closed.  
"Shut up." Drake growled, tugging his own pants down on his thighs before driving himself into Anubis with enough force to shatter bones, or at least part of the bed-frame.  
Anubis bucked and arched, holding in gasps, cries, and screams of agony, wavering on the border of pleasure. His body ached as Drake's cock pulsed so fucking deep inside that he thought Drake would come up through his navel on each roll of hips. It could have been perfect, except that Drake wouldn't touch Anubis, hence the punishment, he was holding Anubis's hands to his chest and refused to touch him. It was sheer, mind-numbing psychological shit, Drake would get what he wanted and Anubis was there to facilitate him.  
Anubis muffled a cry as Drake came, he waited patiently for his master to pull out before he relaxed enough to try and jerk himself off. Drake pulled his pants off and sat on the edge of the bed, watching Anubis come.  
"Well?"  
Anubis looked up, his eyes glazed with exhaustion, the sun was coming up soon, "Forgive me?"  
"You're forgiven." Drake said, scooting up onto the bed to lay down next to his mate, "Don't ever go on your own again."  
"Yes, my Drake."  
"And don't ever insult me in front of the humans."  
"Yes, my Drake." Anubis cuddled up to Drake.  
"And if you _ever_ scare me like that again, I will lob off your cock and feed it to the rats."  
Anubis cringed outwardly, one hand sliding down between his legs subconsciously, "Ugh, yes, my Drake."

* * *

 

"So, you're working with leeches now?" Blade said, sliding the whetstone over his sword's edge again.  
"He didn't give us much of a choice." Hannibal shrugs, watching sparks dance off the keen edge, "Besides, him and Anubis kill more vampires in a night than we can on our own. You know, it would have gone smoother if you had come with us instead of taking off."  
Blade blinked, stopping mid-swipe to stare at Hannibal.  
"Just a thought." Hannibal shrugged, "But, Drake's kept his word and Anubis is sort of his-"  
"His bitch." Blade sheathed the sword, and pulled his vest off.  
"Uh, yeah, anywho, they've both been uber helpful and we'd like to keep them on, if not for their sterling character, than the fact that Anubis can cook better than Abby any day sweetens the deal." Hannibal smiled nervously as he met Blade's piercing and freakishly unblinking gaze, "Ye-eah."

* * *

 

Abigail sat typing away at the computer, there had to be something, some clue as to what it was about Zoe, some sort of link between them, a past life or something. Even though Abigail was bias to the whole 'resurrection' thing-y, she'd seen enough in her life to believe a small percentage of religious and theological dogma. It had to have some significance, Drake never did anything without a reason, some point to prove, the one reassuring thing about him was his consistency, the pattern of his behavior.  
"What is it-?" She stopped, staring at a book on the shelf that she noticed out of the corner of her eye, one of the old, moldy copies of a history written in an ancient language. Abigail went over and carefully slid the heavy volume down, blowing an inch of dust off it before delicately opening the cover.  
She could have cried when she saw the oh-so-familiar handwriting scrawled across it, Sommerfield, she had been translating the book and you could tell where she set the ruler to gauge her writing. Flipping through she found countless pages of Braille sheets between the wax-paper protected pages of the book. It was then that the book's significance struck her, it was the diary of one of the eunuchs in Nebuchadnezzar's court, with a detailed log of Drake's stay, and one passage stood out as she ran her fingers over the Braille,  
 _Today the Lord Dracula went out to the gardens with his daughter, Ningae, a tiny beauty treated with more splendor than any of the King's own princesses. One must wonder how much wealth the Lord can have that he can dote upon her so-_  
Abigail's fingers froze over the raised dots, "His daughter?"  
Her head turned slightly and she could see past the doorway of the 'research room' into the living room where Hannibal was shooting hoops and there was Drake, leaning over the table and talking softly with Zoe, a smile tugging at his lips (Anubis was sitting sulkily up in the rafters), Abigail's breath caught in her throat as Drake lifted his head and met her eyes with his own feral gaze, eyes bright with something that chilled her blood to ice.  
He had found Ningae again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay just so you know, Drake's daughter's name is pronounced Nin-gay, it means 'queen' or 'royal'.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, so sorry . . . been busy and all that . . . you know, the usual excuses. Je-sus I'm so lazy . . . ANYWHOSER! Next chapter! This one mostly deals with Anubis reflecting on stuff. A wee bit of non-con in the beginning, yeh? RnR if ye please!

Anubis laid there, his hand running over a sleeping Drake's head, he liked to think back on it all, mostly on the good times, times when he had felt safe and powerful, but, of course, there were times when he had been gripped by such fear, such insecurity, like the first time they made love for instance.

* * *

 

_Drogo was sitting watching the moon as it rose like a fat silver coin into the sky. He had been following Dracula for nearly ten years now, learning everything he could from the man, remembering everything he heard, and he was going places he'd never known existed, it was everything Dracula had said it would be, minus the killing people and drinking their blood, but even that got easier when he looked at it like a necessary evil._

_"Drogo."_

_He looked around, smiling nervously, "Yes?"_

_"Come here." Dracula waved him over, closer to the fire he had built._

_Drogo nodded, walking over, "Yes, my Lord?"_

_"Sit." Dracula gestured to a spot next to him. Drogo blinked, he slowly settled on the ground next to the older vampire, not sure what this was about, usually the closest they got was when they were sparring, whether it be with swords or fists._

_Drogo bit his lip nervously and started to throw bits of leaves and twigs on the flames, until he felt a hand on his hair, stroking the long, black strands._

_"You're hair is so fine, so soft." Dracula whispered, leaning forward to press his face into the nape of Drogo's neck, nuzzling into the hair, "Is it this soft everywhere?"_

_"What?" Drogo couldn't keep the tremble out of his voice, his face felt too warm._

_"Let me see." Dracula murmured, his voice a soft growl in his throat, full of something feral and terrifying, a hand drifting to Drogo's thigh._

_"N-No . . . my Lord, please!" He felt Dracula's hands forcing him onto the ground. He was shaking as he looked into Dracula's eyes and by the fire-light, they glowed like miniature stars, "I don't want-"_

_"You don't know what you want." He held Drogo down with one hand, proving how strong he was, again, "But I know what I want, I want to break you in, to make you scream. I want to be your first and last, I want you to give yourself to me because I own you. You belong to me."_

_Drogo flinched, turning his head away out of fear, tears welling up in his eyes as he tried to escape, "No . . . please!"_

_Dracula leaned forward, his mouth pressing against Drogo's, stopping the protests before they could be uttered, Dracula felt the resisting lips part to yell and subsequently allow his tongue access. The light prick of fangs on tongue, the taste of Dracula's last meal. It was too much, Drogo started to cry (pitiful as that was for a man of twenty-six, not counting the years since he'd stopped aging, that is) as he felt his tunic being removed, exposing his chest and stomach to the chill night air. Dracula's hands roamed over the planes of Drogo's body, exploring otherwise uncharted areas, causing the younger vampire to shudder and squirm under his light touch._

_Drogo felt his body reacting in ways that were strange to him, ways that made his pants too tight. He felt Dracula pressing something into his leg, it felt like the sheath of Dracula's knife, but . . . he'd taken it off, hadn't he? Drogo looked slowly down and gasped when he realized what was there._

_"You're . . . you're . . . " Drogo sputtered, trying harder to get away, away from the mouth that was on his chest, away from hands that were rubbing between his legs and twisting in his hair, away from . . . that thing pressed into his leg._

_"Yes, I am, now be a good boy and hold still." Dracula murmured passionately, pulling down Drogo's pants, holding the squirming vampire to the ground so he could remove his own clothes._

_"My Lord . . . Dracula, please, don't do this." Drogo sobbed, feeling the hands on him again, then the oddly lukewarm temperature of another body close to his, the eyes were there in front of him again, blazing like fire._

_"Would you feel better if they were her eyes?" Dracula whispered, kissing tears off Drogo's face, "Her blue eyes?"_

_Drogo gasped in shock._

_Dracula nodded and Drogo watched as the eyes became a soft blue, like the girl Drogo had courted, a girl with kind eyes and light colored hair. He shuddered, staring into those eyes that captivated him, trying not to remember Dracula urging Drogo on as he killed her._

_"Now, be good and I'll reward you." Dracula lowered on him, kissing Drogo's neck and gently tugging on his hair, Dracula's mouth moving to press fangs into flesh. There was a spasm that shot through Drogo, he panted, closing his eyes, and distancing himself from this successfully, until he was broken._

_"Aaaaahhaaagh!" Drogo screamed, ripping his claws into Dracula's shoulder._

_The older vampire didn't seem to mind as he pushed, his knees driving into the dirt, he kept kissing and groping, murmuring in Sumerian (which Drogo couldn't understand, and frankly, at this point, he was too concerned with having something forcibly shoved inside him to pay attention)._

_Drogo gasped, it hurt . . . he couldn't imagine why Lord Dracula would want to hurt him this bad. How was there a reward in this? Drogo sobbed, burying his face into Dracula's chest, interstitially begging him to take it out, to stop._

_Then, it slowed, Dracula huffed, looking at Drogo, "This won't do. Not at all."_

_Drogo sobbed in relief, would he go now?_

_"Here, let me try this." Dracula sighed again, reaching between them, he started to stroke the younger’s partially hard cock._

_"oh!" Drogo's eyes snapped open, he stopped moving, his whole body trembled as heat washed over him, "Aahh . . . Harder . . . "_

_Dracula blinked in surprise, "Well, now, that didn't take long."_

_Drogo moaned, pushing up excitedly into his Lord's hand, he couldn't stop himself, suddenly he wasn't as scared as he thought he should be, he gripped Dracula's shoulders tighter._

_"Drogo, kiss me." Dracula let go of Drogo's hair and tilted his chin up, pressing their lips together, it suddenly felt normal . . . it felt right._

_Drogo didn't have time to think before he came, then there was the strange sensation of Dracula coming inside him._

_They laid there, Dracula looking into his eyes, a smile tugging on his lips, "Hm, you're a bit inexperienced, but with practice, I'm sure you'll be more than adequate."_

_He slid back, moving to tug his pants back on. Drogo just laid there in the dirt, exposed and dazed, unsure of exactly what had just happened._

* * *

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Drake looked up from Anubis's lap.

Anubis blinked, they were sitting on the couch, well, Anubis was sitting, Drake was lying down, "Nothing, I was just thinking."

"About what?"

"Nothing of consequence." Anubis sighed, looking back at the shitty movie that was on pay-per-view.

"Are you sure?" Drake propped himself up on his elbows.

"Yes." Anubis ran his hand under Drake's chin, making the older vampire purr softly, "What?"

"You're making me horny." Drake chuckled, lifting himself up to kneel next to Anubis.

"Not here, moron, we are babysitting the brat." Anubis reminded.

"I heard that!" Zoe came in from the archive room, plopping down on the couch next to Drake, "Look what I found."

Drake chuckled, sitting up and looking at the ancient painting the girl was holding, "What is it?"

"It's you." Zoe held it up, "See?"

Drake leaned forward, "Ah, I see it now."

Anubis huffed, resting his chin on his fist and glaring at the TV, how much more must he suffer this ridiculous girl?

"Anubis," Drake touched his shoulder, "I'm taking Zoe up to bed, I'll be back in a minute."

"Fine." Anubis shrugged Drake off and went back to pretending to be interested in the movie, he hated movies to be perfectly honest, especially the one's about vampires, but then, he was certain most vampires despised those. Especially the shit with vampires that fucking _sparkled_ , what faggy, teeny-bopper made that up? Honestly, who buys this shit about 'vampires' who don't have fangs and clearly anyone who's seen Jarko knows that all vampires aren't celestially gorgeous creatures. Anubis prayed to the gods that people didn't stereotype vampires as all being sparkly little pusses that fall in love with characters as flat and colorless as that human chick.

"Thank the gods for Buffy." Anubis muttered, turning the TV off and going into the kitchen, "Drake, you want a beer?"

"No."

Anubis shrugged, he'd found out he liked beer, not as good as wine, but it was nice and he could drink a lot of them without getting tipsy. He pulled a bottle out of the fridge, popping the top off with a claw and tipping the bottle mouth to his, feeling the alcohol rolling down his throat and sending little shivers along his synapses.

Anubis toddled off to the archives, looking over all the objects that had Drake's glyph on them, he had been curious about these things, curious to know if he recognized any of them. His fingers swiped dust off a box with the word 'FRAGILE' scrawled over it in large, black letters. With one easy movement the lid was pried carefully off and Anubis lifted the circlet out, almost laughing to himself at how beautifully it had been kept. The large blood ruby was missing from the main setting, but the little ones that made patterns across the gold were intact. Anubis smiled, setting it back into the box, he remembered how it had looked when it was new. He moved on to the other things, thinking about what life had been like in the beginning, how things had changed between them, how the lines of society had blurred and he forgot all that his human parents had taught him.

* * *

 

_Dracula was staring out the window of the inn, they had gotten a room here on their way to Egypt, Drogo sat by the bed uncertainly, wondering what Dracula was thinking, what he would do now. As these thoughts went through his head, Dracula pushed off the window and went to the bed, removing his robe and sword. Drogo stood automatically and made his way to one of the corners._

_"What are you doing?"_

_He blinked, turning to look at Dracula, Drogo wanted to tell Dracula that he didn't want to sleep in the same bed, that he hated it when Dracula took advantage of him like he did quite often. He wanted to say that Dracula frightened him and that he wanted to be left alone. But, saying all that was almost like baiting a starving lion, eventually Dracula got his way and would rape Drogo into submission._

_“ . . . Going to sleep." Drogo mumbled, fidgeting with the belt of his own robe, they were going to cross the desert that separated Arabia from Egypt, so Dracula had them trade their heavier wool clothing for loose, gauzy robes to combat the heat and sun. Drogo hated it, these clothes felt airy and the breeze in his nether regions was far from pleasant._

_"We have a bed." Dracula let his robes fall to the floor, exposing his naked body._

_What could he do? Blatantly tell the most powerful creature on Earth that he'd rather sleep on the cold, stone floor than climb into bed with him? It had been a long time since Dracula had tried to bed Drogo, maybe a year, of course, to Dracula, time meant nothing and that didn't mean his hand did not wander between Drogo's legs or tangle in his hair, pulling him forcibly in to kiss. But, the heat from such close contact had stayed with Drogo, each time Dracula disrobed to bathe or sleep, he'd shiver and retreat as far as he could, pulling his own clothes tighter to himself. His thoughts were frantically spiraling into a panic as Dracula stalked around the bed, his eyes shining in the moonlight,_

_"Come to bed, Drogo." Dracula's hand reached out to grasp lightly at Drogo's long hair._

_"I . . . " Drogo shuddered, ducking his head miserably, "I don't want to."_

_Dracula was quiet for a moment before he was suddenly pressing Drogo into the wall, snarling in the younger vampire's ear, "I don't recall asking you what you wanted."_

_"Ngh! That’s just it, isn’t it? You never asked!” Drogo gasped, his hair jerked roughly so that he couldn't do anything but look at Dracula._

_"Why do you fight me?" Dracula growled softly, nipping at Drogo's earlobe._

_"You'll hurt me!" Drogo yelped, shoving Dracula, but to no avail, Dracula was bigger and stronger._

_Dracula pulled back a bit, staring at Drogo with a dumbfounded expression, which was odd because Drogo was sure his cries of agony the entire time he was fucked was more than enough of a signal to his extreme discomfort, "Hurt you?"_

_"Please, I don't like it!" Drogo tried a new tactic, he bit at Dracula's hand when it tried to caress his face as fear was replaced with anger, "You never even asked me if I wanted that! It isn't fair, I know I belong to you and that I must do what you tell me, but . . . I don't want to do that!"_

_Dracula backed up, tilting his head ever-so slightly to one side, expression morphing from lust to confusion, " . . . You don't . . . like me?"_

_Drogo blinked at him, that wasn't what he'd meant at all, certainly Dracula made him nervous and sometimes afraid, but . . . he'd didn't dislike the man himself, per se. Actually, truth be told, he'd felt a sort of fierce loyalty that he had always associated with being Dracula's fledgling, but it didn't mean anything physical. Did it?_

_"Not like that." Drogo whispered, he couldn't think of what else to say._

_"Huh," Dracula turned to the bed, staring at it, "I turned you because I thought you were beautiful."_

_"What?" Drogo blinked in surprise, what the hell did that mean?_

_"I wanted you to stay with me. I didn't want anyone else to have you." Dracula murmured, running a hand over the bed's covers, "I saw how much you could be, but that place was smothering you, suffocating you, forcing you into a future that held nothing but hardship and reproducing like a drone. I wanted to save you from those feeble-minded humans, and that horribly cold place that was without color or life. To see you spread your wings and live up to all that you can be . . . that's what I want."_

_Drogo breathed out slowly, "You aren't just . . . trying to seduce me, are you? For your own gratification?"_

_"No, I'm telling you the truth. And . . . I fell in love with you." Dracula looked over his shoulder at Drogo, “I . . . I didn’t realize that you were resisting me, I thought it was part of a game . . . You seemed to like it when your victims beg you to stop I thought you were trying to arouse me by pleading . . . Forgive me.”_

_There was silence as Drogo stares at a space on the wall, unsure of what he should do, his body ached to simply turn and run, but his heart ached too, with longing to feel someone hold him and say all the things that a lover is supposed to say. For someone to think he was special, to look at him and see something worthwhile. It would seem that Dracula was that someone._

_Drogo's robe fell to the floor, he tried to quell the blush, but it came anyway, Dracula whipped around at the soft sound of cloth on stone, his eyes shifting color to blue again._

_" . . . Drogo." He said softly, taking a step closer, his hand running over Drogo's shoulder, taking his hand and gently leading him to the bed._

_The shudders continued as Drogo laid back, staring into those eyes, Dracula leaned up, pressing his lips to Drogo's, tugging on his bottom lip lightly with his fangs. Drogo felt hands again, except they were softer, gentler; touching, not restraining. He moaned, putting his hands on Dracula's shoulders, wondering what he was supposed to do, how should he pleasure Dracula? Should he touch him? How could someone, who's only sexual encounters had involved being forced against walls and floors and held down, possibly know how this worked? Dracula seemed to sense his anxiety,_

_"Touch me here." Dracula positioned Drogo's hand on his thigh, moving it to his cock._

_"Oh . . . " Drogo looked up at Dracula, they just stared at each other as Drogo's hand moved slightly, Dracula purred, ducking his head into his chest._

_"Mnh, yes, that's better." Dracula sighed, his mouth connecting with Drogo's chest, pulling away to trail down between the muscles on Drogo's stomach, reaching the line of hair, whispering between kisses,“I wish I had known that this was what you needed . . . for me to be gentle and soft . . . I wish I had known, this would have been so much sooner . . . Forgive me.”_

_"What are you doing?" Drogo breathed, arching his back and feeling heat between his own legs as his cock twitched and thickened._

_"Does it matter?" Dracula murmured, his breath hot and wet on Drogo's feverish skin._

_"N-Not really . . . ooh, L-Lord Dracula . . . " Drogo's eyes closed and his hips rolled forward, pressing into that warmth, panting softly, then the warmth was gone. Drogo opened one eye in confusion, he was so close to coming, why stop?_

_"Drogo, call me 'Drake', you're my lover, not my slave. Remember that.” Dracula murmured, kissing Drogo's hip._

_" . . . Drake." Drogo breathed._

_Drake crouched over him, his fingers tracing over the pectorals, mouthing a nipple, he looked up at Drogo, smiling slightly as he slid forward, wrapping his powerful arms around narrow shoulders, holding Drogo tightly as he moved forward, it was a quick, jerking motion, and Drogo gasped, feeling heat explode from inside him. He bit his lip, holding in another cry, not wanting to upset Drake into becoming violent, besides, this was supposed to be special, he was willingly giving himself to Drake, he had to make sure to do this right, but . . . it still hurt._

_"Ah, that's it . . . " Drake chuckled, kissing Drogo below his ear, "You're getting better at this."_

_Drogo didn't reply, for fear of sounding pathetically inexperienced (which he was, but it would be less embarrassing to keep quiet). He gripped Drake's shoulders tighter, burying his face into the scar-glyph on the older man's chest, feeling his body tremble and his breath caught more than once in his throat._

_"Oh, what's this now? Here." Drake smiled, his hand touching where attention was needed, stroking roughly, making Drogo gasp and buck._

_After what seemed like shuddering eternity, Drogo came, sending Drake into a violent rut until he too came. They collapsed on the bed, breathing heavily, Drake rolled off of Drogo, clutching at his hand, kissing the palm gently. Drogo breathed out slowly, trying to stay awake._

_"You'll love Egypt, Drogo, its beautiful . . . " Drake murmured, pulling Drogo to him, hugging him, "For a desert city, it is full of life and beauty . . . "_

_Drogo fell asleep to the sound of Drake's voice, "My Drake . . . "_

* * *

 

How long ago it seemed, Anubis couldn't believe that he would be over two thousand years old, how long he had spent with his beloved sire, how he had grown to love him, to feel pleasure at his smile and watch him conquer entire civilizations. He had shared a bed with Drake for so long, Anubis had been certain that Drake would tire of him, would wander away at the sight of something new, fresh. Anubis had been terrified each time Drake sired another vampire, afraid of being replaced, cast aside after all the promises that had been made. Anubis crushed the beer bottle in his hand, watching the shards fall into the water below, he remembered a time when he had been jealous (more so than per usual, anyway) of another vampire, it had been around the time Anubis came to be called after the jackal-headed guardian of the dead, the god of mummification and burial and death itself.

* * *

_Drogo stared up at the huge temple, reveling in its splendor, at the beautiful paintings and the sheer power of it all, how great, how magnificent!_

_"Drogo."_

_He turned, smiling at Drake, "Ah, yes?"_

_Drake had been teaching him the language he said his descendants would speak, so Drogo tried to use it every time they spoke._

_"Have you been here this whole morning?" Drake adjusted the wrap around his neck._

_"Um, yes, I was just admiring the temple." Drogo scuffed his sandal on the stones sheepishly._

_"I see." Drake came to stand next to him, his sharp eyes flickering over everything, "It is something to behold."_

_Drogo held his breath (silly habit, he did not need to breathe anymore), thrilled that Drake took notice of something he deemed important._

_"Come, we have much to do." Drake gestured to the huge doorway._

_Drogo nodded and followed, when a thought struck him, "Um, Drake?"_

_"Yes?" Drake turned his head slightly, stepping into the bright sunshine._

_"I . . . I have a request." Drogo fidgeted, biting his lip._

_"Oh?" Drake stopped walking, moving to face Drogo now, "And what is that?"_

_" . . . I would like, um, well . . . a different name." Drogo finished, his voice getting very quiet, lowering his eyes miserably, what a stupid thing to ask._

_"A different name? Ah, that is understandable. What is it to be then?" Drake crossed his arms, looking at Drogo expectantly._

_Drogo was so shocked by how easily Drake agreed that he didn't realize it was up to him what his new name was to be, "Oh . . . I don't know yet."_

_Drake looked at him, "You'd best find it, we are to be introduced to the Pharoah, you need a name."_

_Drogo's eyes widened, "The Pharoah? Why?"_

_"I am a mercenary, his Eminence wishes me to neutralize a threat from some western tribes." Drake sighed, "I don't have a lot of time to explain and you don't have a lot of time to decide."_

_Drogo didn't much like being put on the spot for such a big decision, but then his eyes lingered back to the temple, seeing the powerful-looking jackal-headed being, "Anubis."_

_"Anubis? The god of the dead? Heh, I suppose that does fit, doesn't it? Alright, Anubis, let's go then." Drake turned and started to walk away._

_Anubis hurried to catch up, resisting the urge to take Drake's hand, he did not know how the man would react to that, fear of being ridiculed for wanting to show affection in a public setting was always a possibility._

 . . . Yes, from then on his name had been ‘Anubis', but . . . shortly thereafter, he had developed his jealous streak, the desire to be the only person to hold Drake's attention was maddening and he was more than certain that Drake knew it then like he knew it now. Anubis snorted, looking up to try and see stars in the light pollution of the city.

_"Anubis, this is Rena." Drake said calmly, holding his hand out to that of a tall woman with long light-colored hair and brown eyes, she smiled taking his hand and sliding to his side._

_Anubis felt his heart drop, he longed to be that close to Drake, especially in public where those prostitutes and other woman (or men sometimes, depending on what city they were in) who would make eyes at Drake, offering him their bodies for a gold coin._

_The woman smiled, "It is good to meet you, Anubis." She smiled, flashing fangs._

_Anubis gasped, turning to look at Drake, "She's a vampire!"_

_"Of course, I turned her." Drake raised an eyebrow at Anubis._

_"Oh, isn't he sweet?" Rena giggled, putting a hand on Drake's chest, pressing her body into his side. Anubis had to use all his self-control not to leap the distance and kill the bitch, that was_ his _Drake!_

_"Rena and I will be at the banquet tonight, you are welcome to join us." Drake said putting a hand on Rena's backside. Anubis bit his lip, anger and jealousy welling up inside him,_

_"Thank you, but, I'll pass." Anubis wanted to just hide away in the room they had and not think about how Drake letting that woman get so close to him like that._

_"As you wish, we'll need the bedroom tonight." Drake turned, leading Rena away._

_Anubis didn't even try to conceal his hurt, his knees felt like rubber, his head light, why? Why was Drake doing this?_

_Later Anubis was sitting in one of the smaller rooms, he had tried desperately to hold everything in, but lost the fight as soon as the door closed, now he was attempting to ignore the noises coming from the main bedroom._

_It was not fair!_

_So, all those words, all those things Drake had said, had been cheap wine to seduce a pathetic, guilible fool? All that he had been led to believe . . . a lie?_

_"Why?"_

_The next morning Anubis was sitting in his room, staring at the floor as the sun crept over the windowsill. The door opened and Drake stepped in, he was naked, a new necklace made of thick chain around his neck, and several love-bites along his chest and neck._

_"Did you have fun, last night, my Lord." Anubis whispered, lowering his eyes again, fighting the tears._

_"Why the formality, Anubis?" Drake moved to the bed, kissing Anubis's neck, tugging on the robe._

_"Why don't you go fuck your new plaything!" Anubis shoved him, backing away angrily._

_"New plaything? You mean Rena? Don't be foolish, my lo-"_

_"Don't you dare!" Anubis snapped, slapping the hand off his leg, "You lying son-of-a-bi- Ah!"_

_Drake had grabbed Anubis's hair, slamming his head back on the bed, "Do not insult my mother, Anubis, now, explain this outburst."_

_Anubis decided getting angry could be fatal, so he allowed himself to burst into tears, "You've r-replaced me, how the hell did you think I w-would feel? A-After all that you told me . . . I thought you . . . I thought that . . . "_

_He couldn't say it, couldn't say 'I thought you loved me', that was so cliché, so pathetic when he thought about it, Drake must think him so easy to bed, his willingness to please, the desire to be desired. How stupid was he?_

_Drake let go of him, moving his hand down to Anubis's stomach, touching the rough fabric, "You think I lied."_

_" . . . yes." Anubis closed his eyes, letting the tears fall, what difference did it make now?_

_" . . . Anubis," Drake sat back, not looking at him, "I . . . I didn't lie. I love you."_

_"Then why . . . ?"_

_"I just wanted something soft, something . . . female." Drake sighed, closing his eyes and rubbed his forehead, "She acts differently then you, she wants to be close to me, in public and she wears clothes that are beautiful, I like the idea of her, but I love you."_

_Anubis sat up slowly, rubbing his eyes with his sleeve, " . . . I thought you would not want to be seen with me like that, I thought it would hurt your reputation."_

_Drake looked at him, "My repu- good gods, Anubis, what do I care about a reputation? They fear me because of what I am and what they know I can do. No one cares who I take to bed. I just . . . you were becoming like those people, the cold, colorless people in your homeland."_

_Anubis stared at him, "Then tell me what you want, show me. But, do something for me?"_

_Drake smiled slowly, "Anything, my love."_

_"Get rid of that whore." Anubis murmured, biting Drake's ear._

_"Heh, good thing I already killed her, bitch dared to ask me to do the same to you."_

* * *

 

"Anubis, come to bed." Drake draped his arms over Anubis's shoulders, a cigarette in his mouth.

Anubis looked at him, smiling slightly, true, every once in awhile, Drake would take another to his bed, but it never lasted, he would always tire of them and he would always climb in bed with Anubis, muttering about stale blood and faked orgasms.

"Ah, are you hoping for something?" Anubis reached up, taking the cigarette and puffing a few rings into the air.

"Mmnh," Drake nuzzled into his neck, "Your hair is so much longer now . . . "

Anubis twirked an eyebrow, snubbing the fag out on the railing, "And?"

"And nothing." Drake pressed into Anubis's backside, "I love when your hair is long, never ever cut it again."

"So what, I'm supposed to let it hang past my feet?" Anubis snorted, "You want to fuck or what?"

"Nnnnh, You've been good for what, ten minutes now? How about you fuck me?" Drake asked softly, his hand running through Anubis's hair..

"What?" Anubis turned around, "You serious?"

"If you don't want to, then fine, we can do this the same as we do it every time." Drake shrugged.

"Wait a New York minute, we've been together for over two thousand years, and never once did you even offer, but now you're going to let me? At a spur of the moment?" Anubis snorted, "You drunk?"

"No, I'm just wondering what it feels like." Drake shrugged, pushing Anubis against the railing.

"Like a hot iron rod is being shoved up your ass." Anubis huffed, "You're serious, like, you aren't just trying to get me in the mood?"

"Look, if you don't want to-"

"Like hell I don't want to!" Anubis chuckled, pushing Drake back inside and onto the bed.

"You realize that this is once-in-a-few-lifetimes chance, right?" Drake sighed, sliding his jeans off, then his shirt.

"Then I better make it count, huh?" Anubis was already undressed and ready to go, "Hold on."

"Ha, you've never fucked me before, what the hell do you- Agh!" Drake arched onto Anubis, inhaling sharply, his fingers clawing the sheets.

"Exactly." Anubis smiled, pushing as hard as he could, holding onto Drake's shoulders, then he remembered that Drake would be waiting for his half of this. A few quick strokes and Drake came, Anubis was next, gasping at the snugness around his cock.

"Fuck . . . that was too quick." Drake panted, laying out on the bed, "How embarrassing."

"Don't feel bad," Anubis smiled, turning his head to look at him, "You did better than I did."

"I remember you being a fucking reluctant orgasm." Drake chuckled, sliding his hand into Anubis's.

"So, tell me, what brought this on, oh mighty lord of the bedroom?" Anubis laughed, rolling onto his side, running his other hand over Drake's stomach.

"I noticed you standing around outside, staring off into space. I know what you look like when you are thinking about something." Drake shrugged, rolling to face Anubis, "I know that you think about too."

"So, you read minds?" Anubis leaned forward, kissing Drake's chin, "Hm?"

"No, but you do think about what once was almost as much as I do." Drake murmured, pulling himself on top of Anubis, his lips trailing down Anubis's neck.

"Mmhhh." Anubis smiled, wrapping his other arm over Drake's shoulders, "Oh, you stupid, fucking, man-whore, gods I love you."

"I know . . . oh, gods do I ever." Drake breathed.

* * *

 

"So, what are you saying?" Hannibal looked up from the new toys Anubis made for him.

"I'm saying that Drake had a daughter and under whatever circumstances, he lost her, and now he wants to take Zoe as a replacement." Abigail hissed.

Blade stared at them, "Well, then, why don't we just kill him and get it over with?"

"Because that didn't work out so well the first time?" Hannibal shrugged, "Look if we take him out, he'll just resurrect again, Anubis knows how to-"

"Then kill his bitch." Blade shrugged.

"Okay, um, Blade, bit of a reality check here, have you ever had someone you loved?" Hannibal stood up, holding his hands out for emphasis, "No? Well, then, let me level with you, Anubis and Drake have been Anubis and Drake for well over two thousand years, I don't even know what kind of anniversary gift you get for that many years, so imagine, if you will, what Drake will do if you subtract his little boytoy from the equation. He will fucking kill us and spread our bones and entrails across America."

"But, he said if we were suspicious, we had permission to kill Anubis." Abigail said, crossing her arms.

"That's under the assumption that we have a) already killed Drake or b) we'd already be dead ourselves," Hannibal countered, "The fucker loves his little bunny and if we hurt the bunny, the dragon will go loco on our asses. He hasn't done anything to Zoe, he hasn't hurt any of us, and frankly, I will really miss Anubis's cooking to the point of manic depressive if we get rid of them. We need them, you guys, but," Hannibal held up his hand, stopping Abigail from her tirade, "I agree that if things start getting weird, we should blow the suckheads to the afterlife on a bullet train."

"Alright then, what the fuck are we still standing around for? We have a whole night of hunting to do." Blade strapped on his sword and made for the door.

Hannibal nodded, "Alright, good pep-talk, go team!" He turned and found himself face-to-face with a pissed Abigail, "What?"

"You know damn well what." She muttered, stalking past him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can anyone tell I hate Twilight? Hmm? I mean, I know that haters gonna hate and all that shit but COME ON!!! Aheh . . . okay, I'm done yelling now.


	5. Chapter 5

Hannibal stood there, his fist still raised to knock like it had been for the last fifteen seconds before he turned and ran down the hallway to take several heavy breaths in the living room.

"You know,"

Hannibal started wildly, his eyes shooting up to where Anubis was hanging by his toes in the rafters,

"You have the romantic aptitude of a goldfish." He raised a delicate eyebrow, his medium-length ponytail hanging from the back of his head.

Hannibal blinked at him, "Trying your hand at Hollywood myths?"

"Heh," Anubis pulled his feet back, landing lightly in front of the Nightstalker, "Very clever, so, you have a problem involving love, and I happen to be regarded as a veritable god of love and sex. So, ask."

Hannibal leaned back, "What makes you think I need your help? And since when are you Eros?"

"Oh," Anubis chuckled, leaning against the back of the couch, "So you consider standing in front of her bedroom with your hand in the air then running for your life a victory? How strange."

Hannibal swallowed, "Alright, fine, oh great Eros, impart on me your knowledge."

He made a comical bow to Anubis.

"Very funny." Anubis muttered, "Firstly, why don't you hurry up and tell her your feelings before you get hard in front of her one of these days? Tell her how sexy you think she is when she's popping a vampire like an engorged tick with her UV-arch."

"You call that romantic?" Hannibal gaped at him, "Oh, so this is why you've only ever been with men."

"Watch it, King, I'm not against violence. Fine, if you can think of any other thing she does that turns you on, please, use it." Anubis rolled his eyes.

Hannibal bit his lip in thought, scratching the back of his head, "I really like how focused she gets, I mean, the way she wrinkles her forehead when she thinks really hard . . . how she always knows when something's wrong . . . the way she looks when she's doing her hair in the mirror . . . the way the bathroom smell after she's had a shower."

"Wow, okay, so you have a lot of material, what's stopping you?" Anubis arched an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

"I dunno, she makes me nervous too, like I can't figure out what to say until I've already said something really stupid." Hannibal sighed, plopping down on the couch.

"I thought that came naturally for you." Anubis hopped up onto the back of the couch, "So, what, you lose your nerve when she's around and now you want to be serious, okay, I can do that."

"You can do what?" Hannibal looked up at him.

"Look, here's what you'll do next time you and her are on brat duty." Anubis smiled, leaning closer to Hannibal.

* * *

 

"What were you doing?" Drake asked when Anubis sauntered back into his workshop.

"What?" Anubis looked at him innocently.

"You and Hannibal. What were you doing?" Drake was sitting up on the workbench, his bare-feet dangling over the side.

"Nothing." Anubis said, he wouldn't voice the plan aloud and risk being overheard by Abigail.

"Anubis," Drake leaned his head down slightly, "What were you doing?"

"I said 'nothing'." Anubis snapped, pulling some tools off a shelf.

Drake huffed and slid off the bench, sidling up behind Anubis, pressing into his back, "If you were up to something, would I know about it?"

"Mm, maybe." Anubis shrugged, pretending to be engrossed in what he was doing while subtly rubbing his ass against Drake.

"Being a naughty little boy, are you?" Drake growled, kissing into Anubis's neck.

"Can I ask you something?"

"What?"

"When was the last time you and I kissed?" Anubis murmured, tilting his head back onto Drake's shoulder.

"We kiss all the time." Drake muttered, trying to latch back onto Anubis’s skin.

"How about kissing without sex?" Anubis turned around, quirking an eyebrow.

Drake seemed dumbfounded, "Uh . . . well . . . "

"Exactly." Anubis said calmly, "And, do you know what day it is next week?"

"You want me to list off the days?" Drake took a step back, crossing his arms, being cock-blocked like this was not going over well with him.

"No, do any of the days mean anything to you at all?" Anubis jabbed his chest with a finger.

"Should they? It's not your time of the month is it?" Drake wrinkled his nose in confusion.

Anubis glared at him, "You stupid, self-centered, libido-engrossed asshole."

Drake only smiled, "Oh . . . I get it."

"Do you?" Anubis turned back to the shelves.

"Our anniversary is on Thursday." Drake whispered, "Isn't it?"

"Took you long enough." Anubis harrumphed, glaring at a wrench.

"Forgive me my love, the calendars of this age are different than I am used to."

"I see, well, on that most momentous day, I expect you to take me out on a date, preferably dinner and a walk in the park at night, I also expect holding hands, kissing, and a romantic night alone in a hotel or other such place, and- are you taking notes?" Anubis crossed his arms.

Drake blinked at him, "I suppose you'll want something in way of a gift."

"That would be nice, but it is not expected." Anubis said calmly.

" . . . I see, well, I best brush up on my kissing then, mustn't I?"

Drake took a step toward Anubis, his hand sliding under Anubis's chin, the other taking his hand, their lips slid over each other. Drake led the kiss, being the overprotective bastard he was, he had to be dominate, he gently teased at Anubis's lips with his tongue, coaxing entrance and finally gaining it. Anubis wrapped his free hand around the back of Drake's neck, stroking the stubble from his recent haircut (if you could really call shaving your entire head a haircut). Drake leaned forward, letting Anubis suck his lower lip into his mouth, he chuckled deep in his throat when Anubis nibbled on it before releasing. They mashed together again, the kiss became deeper, more passionate, Drake growled into Anubis's mouth as their fangs clicked together, drawing blood when Anubis bit into Drake's tongue. The older vampire hissed, pulling away, kissing Anubis's neck, smearing blood with his tongue, Anubis was just wrapping his leg around Drake's waist when they heard a noise behind them.

Drake turned and immediately let go of Anubis, "Yes?"

Blade was standing there, arms crossed, a smirk on his face, "Don't let me interrupt."

"Fuck off, day-walker." Anubis snarled, reaching to pull Drake back to him.

Drake stalked over to Blade, standing nose-to-nose with him, a snarl tugging at the vampire's lips, "Is there something you needed, Blade?"

"Nothing at all." Blade said with equal hostility.

"How's your mother?" Drake asked casually but the wicked bit of curl to his lips begged for a reaction.

Blade growled, taking a step closer. Drake cried out and stumbled backward, a knife protruding from his side where Blade had stabbed him,

"Don't mention my mother, _ever_ , fucking bastard." Blade growled, turning on his heel and leaving, but not before eying Anubis who had run to Drake's side instantly.

"You stupid- Oh, Drake, are you alright?" Anubis frantically ran his hand down to the knife, but Drake snapped out his hand and pulled it out himself.

"Rgh, I'm alright, Anubis." Drake snarled, sitting up holding the knife in his fist, "That damn day-walker . . . to hell with him."

"You did provoke him, darling." Anubis sighed, wiping blood off of Drake's shirt, "Damn, I did like that shirt on you."

"Mm," Drake looked at him, "He must be antsy for the hunt tonight, Anubis, darling, will you be a dear and cause something very heavy to fall on him tonight?"

"My pleasure." Anubis smiled wanly, shaking his head.

* * *

 

The hunt was not going well. This was a new concept, considering the manpower on their side but clearly the sheer numbers of the half-blooded vampires and their familiars was becoming too much.

"Damn . . . " Anubis hissed, gripping a knife that lodged just behind his kneecap, he had absolutely no tolerance for pain.

Drake glanced back at him, "You alright?"

"Fine fine, carry about your business." Anubis growled, straightening up and rushing (a little more ungraceful than normal) at a clutch of vamps, his blades unsheathed and ripping through them easily.

* * *

 

Hannibal sat on the couch, slipping popcorn into his mouth in even intervals and making furtive glances at Abigail. They'd put Zoe to bed almost an hour ago, and now they were watching a movie. Anubis had given good advice . . . but, it seemed so futile with her sitting a ba-jillion miles away.

"So, uh . . . " Hannibal swallowed, shrugging nervously. Come _on_ , he could face down vampires, but talking to a girl made him _nervous_? What the fuck?

Abigail looked at him, "What?"

"Um, well . . . I uh, I . . . " Hannibal shrugged, clearing his throat, _SAY IT!_

"Hannibal, do you have something to say?" Abigail crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes! I do! I-I . . . I really like you!" Hannibal blurted out, accidentally dropping the popcorn onto the floor.

Abigail stared at the popcorn then looked at him, "You what? I couldn't hear over the popcorn bowl shattering."

"I . . . I said I like you. Er, _really_ like you." Hannibal fidgeted, bending over to pick up the pieces of the bowl and to avoid seeing her burst into laughter.

But, she didn't, she said nothing. Hannibal slowly sat up, looking at her.

"You do?" Abigail was leaning forward just a bit.

"Y-Yeah." Hannibal twisted the corner of his fraying sweatshirt.

"Wow . . . " Abigail sat back, clearly stunned, "Funny."

He started, "What is?"

"I like you too." She looked at him.

Neither said anything for a bit, they just stared at each other. Hannibal leaned forward slowly, his hand stretched out to touch her cheek, but, his knee slid off the couch, landing squarely in the shattered popcorn bowl and the force of motion caused him to fall forward and his hand made contact with something a little squishier than Abigail's face.

"Uhhhhhhhh!" Hannibal tried to organize himself frantically, only to drive a large piece of glass further into his calf and in the attempt to push himself up, his hand slipped again, this time it found itself in a place that elicited a yelp from Abigail and Hannibal found himself pushed off the couch onto his back . . . onto the glass.

"Ahagh!" Hannibal hissed, trying very hard not to move an inch while Abigail skedaddled out the of the room.

* * *

 

"What the fuck happened to you?" Hannibal asked as the trio of hunters came in, battered and bleeding.

"I could ask the same thing." Anubis muttered, gesturing to Hannibal's back and knee which both were wrapped up, blood soaking some of the bandages.

"You don't want to know." Hannibal muttered. Abigail was not speaking to him as she was more than mortified by Hannibal accidentally second _and_ third base-ing it with her.

Blade stalked past them all, moving to the garage-thing-y where they kept his car, not saying anything to anyone. Drake meanwhile hoisted Anubis up onto the kitchen counter,

"Stay here, those damn tattoos need fixing. _Again_." He growled, going up to their room.

"You know, maybe if I had a Kevlar vest or something I- Drake are you listening to me? Ugh, men!" Anbuis harrumphed, crossing his arms.

"Um, you do realize you're a guy too, right?" Hannibal quirked an eyebrow.

"Shut up, King . . . so, how'd it go?" Anubis asked, gesturing to the bandages.

"Like I said, you do not want to know." Hannibal shook his head, then began telling the whole story.

Anubis couldn't help chuckling, "Wow, that is . . . um . . . sorry, King, looks like hearts won't be your strong suit."

"Don't I know it . . . now she's mad at me, again." Hannibal sighed, leaning against the table.

"Hm, I suppose the best you can do is apologize?"

"Right, if she'll stay in the room with me for more than five seconds, now she probably thinks I'm some kind of sex fiend!"

"Misery loves it's company, you're among friends." Anubis nodded sympathetically.

"So, anymore love tips? Though I think you should stick to being the god of the dead, it suits you better." Hannibal plunked his forehead down on the table.

"Um . . . you could try not being an idiot."

"Ha, funny, very fucking funny."

"What is?" Drake slipped a stool in front of Anubis, the bowl of blood in one hand and the needle in the other.

"Nothing." Hannibal snapped, pointing a warning finger at Anubis behind Drake's back.

"Nothing except that Hannibal here needs love advice and he thoroughly botched the last attempt at pouring his heart out." Anubis shrugged off his blood-soaked shirt.

Hannibal thumped his head back onto the table, giving Anubis his best I-will-fucking- _kill_ - _you_ -later look and flipping him off.

"Ah," Drake chuckled, "So, what do you intend to do about it?"

"I intend to do nothing." Hannibal muttered.

"Very smart, seeing as you wouldn't know your cock from a doorknob." Drake dipped the needle into the blood and then pricked Anubis's skin where a knife had slipped between his ribs.

"Gee, thanks guys, as if I didn't already know I'm a lost cause." Hannibal mumbled, covering his head with his arms.

"Buck up, Drake didn't mean that quite how it sounded. I think if you apologize later, she'll see it was all an accident and viola! Everything works out!" Anubis smiled, then hissed as Drake jabbed the needle under his skin again.

"What would you know?" Drake asked, raising an eyebrow, "You've only ever had sex with me and you've never even _spoken_ to someone of the opposite sex."

"I know a whole lot more than you give me credit for." Anubis snapped.

"Will you people shut up? Zoe's sleeping." Abigail stalked into the room and pulled a coffee mug out of one of the cupboards, glaring in Hannibal's direction, "You done bleeding or what?"

Hannibal snapped upright, wincing in pain, "Yes, I am. Um, Abigail?"

"What?" She poured out some coffee, staring into the dark, caffeine-rich liquid, taking a careful sip.

"I'm sorry, yanno, about earlier? It was totally an accident, I don't normally need to injure myself to get to second base."

Anubis rolled his eyes and Drake choked on air for a second. Abigail just stared at him,

"Excuse me?"

"No, that's not what I meant!" Hannibal's face contorted in panic, "It's not like I've been to second base a whole lot, well, Danica and me reached home plate but-"

"Oh, gods, Hannibal, shut up before she kills you." Anubis muttered, shaking his head.

Abigail glared at him, "Really?"

"Um, wait! That's not what I meant to say! Where're you going?" Hannibal stood up quickly, "No, wait, Abby, I didn't- . . . ah, fuck."

"No you won't, not at the rate you're going." Drake muttered, setting the bowl aside, "There, finished."

"Ugh, I really hate this." Anubis hopped down, "I need a shower."

"I think we both do." Drake slipped his hand around Anubis's belt.

"Ugh, the gay guys are getting more action than I am." Hannibal moaned, sitting back in his seat.

"I'm not gay." Drake growled.

"I don't really mind." Anubis smiled, leading Drake to the bathroom.

"Sorry, bi-sexual dude and his lover, whatever." Hannibal muttered, staring at the table, "man, this bites."

* * *

 

Drake stared up at the ceiling, feeling wonderfully exhausted and warm, Anubis was curled up next to him, arm draped over Drake's waist. The vampire gently stroked some of Anubis's hair out of his face, thinking about things,

_He stood there, staring at the young man that was gathering firewood, "You there, what is your name?"_

_The boy looked at him, "Drogo."_

_He had smiled, sauntering to him, "Hm, Drogo, tell me, do you know of a place I could rest my head?"_

_"Well, my father's house has a spare room, if you are looking for a place near by."_

_"That will suit my needs." He followed the boy, Drogo, to the large house, a strange site for how primitive the surrounding dwellings were comparatively._

_The next morning he watched the boy while he stripped out of his clothes and slid into the frigid water of the stream, rubbing the gravelly soil into his skin and rinsing it off by jumping into deeper waters. Droplets clung to his long black hair, his skin, dripping slowly down and puddling around his feet. He walked slowly to a large rock, stretching in the rising sun, shivering in the early morning chill as his body dried._

_A smile crept across Dracula's face as watched from behind a tree, this was Drogo's normal morning ritual, he washed his body religiously in the stream, even though the water was probably freezing._

_He will do._

_"What do you mean?" Drogo set the fishing pole aside, staring at Dracula._

_"I am not human, Drogo. That is all you need know for now. I am offering you a place by my side, where the sands of time have stilled. You will see many things, strange and wondrous, visit lands you could only dream of, I can offer you the finest of clothing, money, fame, and an education of the world. All this, I will give to you." Dracula held out his hand, noting the fear and longing mixing and swirling in those deep, beautiful eyes, making Dracula's heart flutter with_ want.

_"What must I do? I am unskilled and I have nothing to give you in exchange." Drogo shook his head, lowering his eyes, "What price do you require for such gifts? I cannot pay it."_

_"It is not money I require." Dracula felt panic as his prize pulled away, no, he wanted this boy, " It is simpler, all I need to know is if you have the courage to pursue it."_

_Drogo seemed to be considering this, "What of my family? My parents, my sisters?"_

_"Forget them." Dracula's panic mixed with impatience, why was that so important?_

_"But-" Drogo's eyes widened._

_"Drogo, where we go they cannot follow, your name will be forgotten as will your face, do not dwell on them! If you wish for what I have, then come! If not, then I think you have some fish to catch." Dracula snapped and, despite how the beast within roared, he turned and started to walk away._

_"Wait!"_

_Dracula turned and there was Drogo, a defiant tilt of his head and jaw set, "yes?"_

_"I will go with you!" Drogo held out his hand._

_Dracula smiled, his own hand snapping out, Drogo stared at their linked hands in confusion as Dracula's grip tightened and the hand morphed into claws. His gaze slowly lifted and his eyes widened in fear, his mouth opened to scream, but no noise came out as Dracula leaped forward, opening his maw and latching onto Drogo's pale, soft flesh. Blood coursed over Dracula's tongue, filling his mouth with it's sweet, fear-tinged flavor, he growled out his approval, feeling Drogo grip his hand tightly, not trying to escape. The younger man's body twitched, the heart racing then slowing. The body went limp, the hand let go, and Dracula sat back, using a claw to slice open his own veins, allowing the dark liquid to spill into Drogo's mouth, still open in a silent scream._

_Drogo's eyelids fluttered, he coughed, gasping and choking._

_"Swallow if you don't want to die." Dracula snarled, changing back into the man, cradling Drogo in his arms._

_Drogo closed his eyes, gulping down the blood until it clotted and came no more, "What . . . ?"_

_"I call myself a 'vampire'." Dracula whispered into the soft black hair, taking in Drogo's lingering scent as it changed from human, animal . . . into something else._

_"My neck . . . "_

_"It will heal, after you've fed. Your thirst must be sated immediately." Dracula looked up toward the village, thinking, ah, what better way to forget his past?_

_"Come," Dracula stood, lifting Drogo onto his feet, "I have found your first meal."_

Drake looked at the sleeping vampire at his side, stroking the warm flesh of his cheek with the back of his hand, he pulled Anubis closer, pressing his face into his black hair, undone from it's ponytail and left to fall around his head.

The scent, it wasn't the woods-y smell it had once been, now it exuded power, an almost feral smell that wafted into Drake's nostrils and titillated his senses to the point of being ridiculous. He may think he was in charge, that he was dominate over Anubis, but he knew the little nymph had him tightly wrapped around his finger, no matter how he wandered, he always felt his eyes going back to Anubis. He had felt that as a man, he was entitled to be with whoever, in fact, he had not thought that Anubis would last more than a few years.

Drake smiled, he had indeed intended over and over to do away with Anubis, afraid that he was being too easily swayed, but each time the chance arouse, he found he wanted nothing more than to hold and kiss and be with just Anubis, he could feel his instincts smolder whenever the man would look at him with bedroom eyes, even in public. How utterly helpless he was when Anubis undressed or wore revealing clothes hell, if his pants were even a bit low on his hips it was maddening, how it took every ounce of control with each touch, each accident bump of flesh to flesh to rein in his more animal side so as not to humiliate himself.

"Hm," Drake ran his lips over the smooth forehead, "How you turn my world, you precious thing. I can't imagine life without you, you're so much stronger than I am . . . "

Anubis mumbled something in his sleep, cuddling up closer to Drake.

The older vampire smiled, closing his eyes as the dawn broke.

* * *

 

"Abby, please open the door." Hannibal mumbled, letting his head rest on the door, "Please?"

The door opened a crack, "What do you want?"

"Look, I know I mess up a lot, but that's only because you make me so nervous!" Hannibal's words came unbidden from his lips like a flood, "I-I want to impress you and I want you to like me, so I try really hard, but I always mess it up . . . I'm sorry."

Abigail stared at him, opening the door more, "Really?"

"Yeah." Hannibal rubbed the back of his head, _okay, Mr. Eloquent, now what?_

"Don't try so hard." Abigail leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, stopping Hannibal's heart probably permanently.

* * *

 

"I love you." Drake murmured that Thursday on the pier, his arms wrapped tightly around Anubis's waist.

“And I love you.” Anubis smiled, staring out into the water, "It looks different."

"Yes, it does. I wish it wasn't so bleak." A flicker of flame and the end of a cigarette was set to ember.

"Mm." Anubis turned around, lacing his fingers behind Drake's neck, "How about that kiss?"

Drake tipped his cigarette out of his mouth, setting it on the railing, "Sounds good."

Their lips slid over each other, there wasn't any tugging or pulling, there was no blood or snarls or growls, their eyes closed and Drake pulled Anubis closer, his hands cupping the smaller vampires face, tilting his head to get a better angle. Anubis leaned up on tip-toe, his soft lips parting, his pink tongue extending, turning purple.

"Ulp!" Drake yelped in surprise, then he leaned forward, his own tongue changing, his chin split slightly.

Anubis chuckled, his eyes still closed, their tongues sliding and slipping past each other, strange in their appearance, but not unfamiliar to either.

"Did you bring me a present?" Anubis asked as they slid apart, his tongue turning pink again.

"Yes." Drake slid something plastic out of his inner coat pocket.

"Ooh, naughty." Anubis held the blood bag up to the flickering light of the streetlamp.

"You said you wanted fresh, that's the best I could do." Drake's own mouth turned back it's human state, he slid the fag back into his mouth.

"Mmmmm," Anubis stuck a straw Drake provided into the top of the bag, sipping appreciatively, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Drake murmured, replacing his arms around Anubis's waist, "You think Hannibal did alright?"

"Well, otherwise he'd be dead by now." Anubis shrugged, still drinking down the blood, "You want some of this?"

"No, thank you." Drake shook his head, leaning close to tuck some of Anubis hair behind his ear, "It was meant for just you."

"It tickles when you whisper in my ear like that." Anubis chuckled.

"Well, let's go." Drake took Anubis's hand, dragging him to the edge of the pier.

"Where are we going?"

"Well, I've checked the kiss and present off my list, so that means I have to get you dinner and a walk in the park yet." Drake shrugged, "Unless you aren't hungry anymore?"

"No, I can still eat." Anubis smiled, tucking the rest of the blood into his pocket.

* * *

 

It was strange, sitting there across from each other at the tiny restaurant with a candle and a bottle of wine between them.

"Wow." Anubis looked around curiously, sniffing several half-bloods and humans, "Am I to understand that this wine is laced with blood?"

"Don't tell the Nightstalkers, alright? They don't know this place exists." Drake muttered, waving a waiter over.

"Oh?" Anubis looked up from his menu.

"Yes, it's a remnant from Danica's so-called 'empire'."

They both ordered and Drake poured Anubis a glass of wine.

"Speaking of which, where did you go when I woke?" Drake leaned forward on his elbows, eyes glimmering in the candlelight.

"Ah . . . well, if you remember correctly, you told me that when you woke, I would also wake and that I was to wait until you came and so I waited." Anubis shrugged.

"Where was your resting place? I also remember that we didn't tell each other."

"You can't guess?" Anubis furrowed his brow, smirking, "I went back to Egypt and went to rest in one of my temples."

"Really? You'e right, I should have guessed." Drake chuckled, swallowing down some wine, staring at him, "You know . . . I was terrified about what might have happened to you."

Anubis fidgeted, swirling the wine in his glass, "And I was worried about you."

"I admit that we did not part on pleasant terms . . . I did not consider your feelings."

"Drake, be honest, you've never considered my feelings." Anubis sighed, "You've done whatever you wanted for a long time and you're set in your ways. I never expected to change you nor will I try."

"That is no excuse." Drake said firmly, "I understand better now than I did before what my unfaithfulness was doing to you. You waited around in a fucking temple for me and where was I? Trapped by my own selfishness and fear. You're right, I never considered your feelings, I always assumed you would simply follow along behind me."

"Drake, please, don't ruin this." Anubis said calmly as the waiter put a pair of bleeding steaks in front of them, "We can talk later, right now, I just want to be here with you and eat this steak."

Drake sighed, looking at him, "Anubis . . . alright, but I need to talk to you, I want to do this right."

Anubis said nothing as he cut off a hunk of raw meat and slid it into his mouth.

* * *

 

Drake's fingers twitched as he grasped at Anubis's hand later, they were walking down a small pathway in the park, the city-noises were muffled and the only light was from the streetlights every few feet, but to the vampires it might as well be daytime.

"So, now you want to talk?" Anubis asked calmly.

"Er, yes." Drake shrugged, "I want to know, why did you go along with it?"

"You told me to," Anubis sighed, stopping to stare at him, "I was bound to do what you-"

"No," Drake let go of his hand, stepping back, "Tell me why. Was it because you were afraid of me? Was it because you love me? What?"

Anubis blinked, "I love you, Drake, I always will, I did it because I knew you needed to get away from there, to escape that place. I did it because I didn't want to be alone and I did it because you _asked_ me to go with you. I admit I did not want to be shut off from the world, I wanted to see it progress. I was afraid of sleeping eternally, that was something I aimed to avoid by becoming a vampire in the first place. But, I knew that you needed me to be there when you woke, when you were ready to face life again, I wanted to be at your side when the time was once more right."

There was silence, Drake took a few steps away and looked away, his face almost obscured by shadows, "Why do you always do that?"

"What?" Anubis slid his hand onto Drake's back.

"Why do you know exactly how to word things so I hate myself more for what I did to you?”

"Death is a normal thing to fear. You were not used to dealing with it on that level. I understood that then like I understand now. Why don't you just shut the fuck up about being guilty when I could have said 'no' and you know it?"

Drake started, turning around, "I wish you'd just hit me. You do this, verbal attacks, I wish you would just hit me when you're this angry or upset. Why do you let me get away with hurting you, you act like it doesn’t bother you?”

"I don't want to hit you. And I let you hurt me because you need to do something or else you'll explode."

'Explode?" Drake blinked at him, brow furrowed.

"Yes, explode, you let things stay bottled up so tight I don't know if you'll let me in or storm off and hide again."

"I won't leave you. Never."

"Yet," Anubis held up a hand, stopping Drake from advancing, "If you're honest with yourself, you know you've wandered away and left me waiting up at night so many times. You continue to open up my wounds and you force me to see what I am not, what I can't be. "

"What?" Drake asked, stepping back again.

"Female." Anubis shrugged, "You like to look at me and you like how I act, you've turned to a woman countless times and later you point out what I am not and what you want me to do to be more like them. Never once have you gone off with another man. I'm sorry I'm not a woman, Drake."

"I . . . " Drake sat down on a park bench, resting his face in his hands, " . . . no, that's not it . . . "

"Don't feed me that tripe." Anubis said softly, "Why don't you talk to me? Why do you let things fester inside your heart until you can’t help but take out frustrations that shouldn’t exist in the first place?”

"Look," Drake lifted his head, "If I didn't love you, I wouldn't bother, alright? If I wanted a woman like you think I do, I wouldn't bother sleeping with a man, no matter how feminine you seem to think you are to me! If I didn't want you or need you, I'd move on, I wouldn't fucking bother with you! If I didn't love you, I wouldn't be trying this hard to be a better man than I know I have been! If I didn't love you . . . " Drake stopped, realizing he was shouting and standing over Anubis, he backed up, lowering his voice, " . . . Why did not having you with me cause me so much pain? Why did it hurt to wake up and know that you weren't there? That . . . that _she_ was lying next to me when you should have been . . . why, if I didn't love you, did I ache to know that you might be out there, alone and in the dark or perhaps dead? So much frightened by that possibility that all I would find was dust and bones that I voluntarily stayed in that cell . . . “

Drake took a slow breath, lowering his eyes, tears dripping down off his face and making dark circles on the pavement at his feet. He felt a warm hand touching his shoulder,

"Drake?"

He didn't, couldn't look up, "I have _never_ treated you like I should have . . . and I'm so sorry, Anubis, I love you, even when we don't agree or when you don't want me around . . . I can't help myself . . . I don't even know why I need you so much."

"Drake . . . " Anubis cupped his face in his hands, stroking his cheeks with his thumbs, "Happy anniversary."

The older vampire smiled, "Happy anniversary, my love."

* * *

 

Drake's lips pressed into Anubis's neck, holding tightly onto Anubis's hair with one hand, his body pressed flush to the smaller man, panting out his arousal in desperate huffs,

"Ah . . . "

Anubis chuckled, wrapping his arms around Drake's shoulders, nibbling on his earlobes, jerking his groin into Drake's hip, causing the older vampire to hiss, closing his eyes and grunting. Drake moved his knee between Anubis's legs, rubbing while he went back to kissing and nipping at Anubis's neck, hearing his lover moan above him.

" . . . I love you . . . " Anubis hissed, gripping onto Drake's shoulders with his fingernails hard enough to draw blood when he was lifted up onto the wall, Drake's face was level with Anubis's stomach, he lifted the plain black t-shirt, his long tongue lapping a line between Anubis's abdominal muscles, exuding a keening moan.

Drake's eyes were hazy with lust as he peered up at Anubis, feeling his erection growing in his jeans, the denim straining and his shirt was rapidly becoming drenched with sweat, his legs trembling with _givetakewantMINE!_ He groaned and continued to kiss and lick at Anubis's stomach, his tongue tracing down the line of hair on Anubis's belly, his fingers hooked Anubis's waistband, sliding it down just a little.

"I admit, this is a . . . . aha~ ooh, just like that. . . . nice room." Anubis mumbled, gesturing around them.

Drake smiled shakily up at him, "You like it?"

"Yes." Anubis smiled, leaning forward to run his long, purple tongue over Drake's jawline.

They were in a hotel, the walls were painted red, the bed was King-sized with plush comforter and silk sheets, there was a whirlpool in one corner, a fireplace in the other, and a huge bathtub meant for more than one person in the bathroom.

"I'm . . . huh . . . glad." Drake moaned, trying very hard to not simply throw Anubis onto the floor and fuck him, no, this was supposed to be special . . .

He could feel Anubis's legs quivering as they gripped his sides, the black-haired vampire's own erection pressing into Drake insistently. Drake let Anubis slide down a bit, holding him against his chest, carrying him to the bed, watching him settle into the down mattress, his long black hair spreading out around him, sea-colored eyes heavy-lidded and pupils dilated until the irises were all but obscured.

Drake kissed him, gently and lightly, gripping Anubis's hip with one hand, the other holding his weight up. Anubis responded, arching up slightly, pressing their erections together so that Drake had to take several deep breaths so that he didn't lose control, begging his body to slow down for the love of the gods! Drake moved down for another kiss, moving it wetly to Anubis's chin, tilting his head up and moving to the neck, feeling veins and arteries that no longer jumped with a heartbeat, his tongue left a burning trail to the hollow of Anubis's collarbone, mouthing it gently until he could feel Anubis squirm under his light touch, fingers gripping the sheets tightly.

Drake had to be very careful as he slid Anubis's shirt up and over his head, he wanted to hurry, to get their clothes off and get right to it, but no . . . no, they needed this, this slowness, this tenderness, to obliterate the doubt of earlier, to accentuate their love, to show that Drake could, no, _had_ changed. Drake kept this in mind as his lips followed the path of one of Anubis's tattoos to his nipple, sucking the flesh into his mouth and holding it there, only stopping his tongue from moving over it to look up at his lover. Anubis's face was flushed and his eyes were closed, he was even breathing heavily (which was adorable because they didn't need to breathe), the front of his jeans were damp with pre-cum. A simple motion and the belt was undone and carefully slid out of each belt loop, Anubis hissed with impatience as Drake lowered his pants inch by blessed inch until he was lying there in just his briefs, quivering and shaking.

" . . . Won't you hurry up?" Anubis panted, letting his head tilt back into the pillows.

"No, we're going to take our time, even if it kills me or my balls drop off." Drake growled, panting also as he reached up with shaking hands to undo his button-down, Anubis moaned with approval as the shirt hit the floor, next Drake attempted to unbuckle his belt, but that was rapidly becoming impossible as every motion jostled him unpleasantly, Anubis sat up a little,

"Stubborn asshole, let me help you." He smiled a bit, "Helpless without me."

"Y-You know it . . . " Drake gasped, watching the belt slide out of the final loop and land on top of his shirt, "You might have to do the rest, my fucking hands are shaking too much."

"Geez, Drake, you gonna make it?" Anubis laughed, carefully unbuttoning Drake's pants and sliding the zipper down, he had difficulty getting it over Drake's hard-on, but after a good solid jerk, the zipper opened.

"Huuuuuh!" Drake gasped, curling his back in, sweat pouring down his face, "You know . . . modern vampires don't sweat?"

"Th-They don't?" Anubis was lying back again, swallowing thickly as he tangled his fingers in the sheets.

"No . . . they don't, smell like nothing at all and they're, uh, cold . . . like metal." Drake groaned as he managed to get his pants off, he slid forward on his knees, putting a hand on Anubis's side, rubbing the design of the tattoo there with his thumb.

"H-How odd." Anubis gasped, his eyes squeezed shut tightly, hands clawing at the sheets now.

"Yes . . . " Drake leaned forward, kissing Anubis's thigh, his other hand sliding up Anubis's briefs, pulling them down his legs and off.

Anubis hissed at being released, his cock already slick with pre-cum. Drake wasted no time, his lips parted and he pulled Anubis into his mouth until he felt Anubis brush the back of his throat, another perk of not needing to breathe meant you didn’t choke either, lifting Anubis up by his hips and hollowing his cheeks.

"Ngh . . . ah!" Anubis shuddered, his whole body stilling as heat spread through his body, eyelids fluttering.

Drake said nothing, waiting until Anubis's eyes rolled up into his skull before he pulled off, feeling a slickness between his own legs. He slowly sat up, blinking like he just remembered something, moving to the edge of the bed, panting,

"Fuck, I forgot . . . shit . . . "

"For-forgot what?" Anubis looked a little disappointed at being left like that.

"I-I bought some, uh, shit, you're going to think this is really, um, what's the word? Cheesy?" Drake rubbed at the back of his head, "I bought some candles and rose petals . . . I forgot to do that before we started."

"Rose petals?" Anubis blinked dazedly.

"We used to do that, remember? You said being reunited and, shit, I forget all about it." Drake's shoulders slumped, "Fuck, I'm ruining this, aren't I?" He climbed back over, his lips finding Anubis's, "I'm sorry."

"It's fine, I didn't actually expect that much." Anubis jerked his hips up impatiently, "Don't stop, please."

"Right, where were we?" Drake reached over on the floor where a suitcase was, digging around until he found what he was looking for.

"What's that?" Anubis sat up a bit, his eyes light with curiosity.

"It's called lube, apparently it makes sex a lot easier." Drake shrugged, "I don't know what was so hard about it before."

Anubis watched while Drake undid the cap on the small bottle, squirting some into his hand and swiping it on his rock-hard cock, grunting at the strange slickness of it. They stared at each other,

"What does it feel like?" Anubis breathed, reaching back for the headboard.

"Odd . . . cold . . . I don't know." Drake slid an arm under Anubis's back, holding him carefully, he moved forward, their eyes widened as Drake slid in, there was a second where they just stared at each other.

"We-We'll have to get more of that stuff." Anubis gasped, arching onto Drake, moaning loudly at the easy slide of flesh on flesh.

"Ahhh!" Drake moved forward, suddenly he had no idea what the fuck was going on, it had _never_ felt like this before, " . . . . huh. . . "

Anubis wrapped his legs around Drake, panting and uttering obscenities in a dozen languages with each push forward. Drake slid his hand between them, taking a handful of Anubis and almost letting go when he realized that that was the hand with lube still on it, feeling how foreign it was to have flesh slip in his hand, he tightened his grip, pushing harder, putting pressure in just the right places, causing Anubis to arch and buck frantically,

"Ahah!" Anubis moaned, "Nnh . . . D-Drake, harder . . . fuck me harder . . . "

"I'm trying, this is . . . agh! . . . this is fucking difficult with this- hah!- stuff on my cock!” Drake panted, it was strange, so strange . . . he pulled his arm out from under Anubis and held onto the headboard as well, using it to pull himself forward into Anubis, then sliding all the way out to push back in, "Heh, this is . . . hah . . . easier."

"Agh!" Anubis uncurled his spine, pushing into Drake's hand, trying to get closer.

"Nnngh!" Drake couldn't hold in the snarls and groans any longer, not that he’d been trying all that hard before, every little sound that Anubis made seemed to light a fire in his groin, seemed to pull all conscious thought out of his head, leaving just the simple, primal instincts of how to touch and move and breathe, even when he didn't have to.

"D-Drake, I'm- fuck!- I'm gonna come!" Anubis keened as he came hard and fast onto Drake's hand.

Drake howled out his own orgasm, shoving forward and snapping the metal headboard in his fist, his back curled and hips thrust forward, his head thrown back in a roar of triumph, an animal in rut would have had more grace than him at that point. His cum ran thick and hot into Anubis, all his insecurities and frustration and worry pouring out in one sweet rush of ecstasy, his vision blurring around the edges and every synapses shrieking as pleasure made them shudder and come alive so that Drake thought he must be on fire.

Finally the nirvana faded and Drake was on his knees, his body trembling and sweat was like a second skin as he felt Anubis pull the covers down, they fell into them, Anubis coiling around Drake, already almost asleep, Drake laid there, his whole body buzzing with strange energy, his tongue felt thick and his mouth was so dry.

He laid there, so exhausted, but he couldn't think of sleeping, he just laid there, remembering again, even though he just wanted to sleep here, content and sweating.

_The woman stood there, glaring up at Drake, her fiery eyes glinting in the fading sunlight. Drake smiled, leaning down to her perfect, resisting mouth. Feeling the shriek of rage die in her throat, yes . . . so beautiful and wild and free . . . and all his._

_Drake looked up slowly, his eyes flashing with lust, then Drake saw him, Anubis, skulking behind the door. Drake only smiled and dipped his head back to the woman's lips._

_They were going away for a time, his woman was pregnant and he wished her to birth away from prying eyes and loose tongues. Drake knew his offspring would be different, special, deadly, hence his secrecy._

_"You're . . . leaving?" Anubis stood there, watching Drake who stood by the window after his woman left to get her things together._

_"Yes, I will be gone for the duration of her pregnancy and some of my child's early years. I am curious of how it will all turn out." Drake nodded, glancing at Anubis with a slightly bored look, this was the one time in his life that he looked at Anubis, his mate, his partner, as a tamed creature, a faithful dog. Tedious and submissive._

_Anubis seemed to understand the look, he bit his lip slightly, "And I will . . . ?"_

_Drake shrugged, "Do what you will. I do not want you there, so you may stay here or go wherever, I don’t care.”_

_Anubis looked hurt, he took a slow breath, "I . . . you don't want me to go with you?"_

_"Good, you can repeat my words. Why would I? My wife and I are going away." Drake spoke that word, savoring it's sweet taste, he'd married shortly after learning of the pregnancy, what use was Anubis to him?_

_Anubis squeaked with a suppressed sob, "I . . . will do as you command, Drake-"_

_"No," Drake turned, "I am your master, you will treat me with respect! My name is Lord Dracula"_

_Drake had felt this urge to exercise his control on Anubis, he did not need the male's services, not when he could have a beautiful woman that could give him what Anubis could never, a child. This was his chance at a normal life, at being what he never was or had been, a human._

_Anubis just about burst into tears, quickly nodded and rushed down the corridor. Drake's heart constricted urgently, but he reined it in, no, he was a husband now and he did not need Anubis anymore._

_"Drake." His woman with her slightly bulging stomach came from the other door._

_He smiled, reaching out his hand to her, "My love."_

_Drake pressed his powerful hand to her abdomen, feeling the delicate life that pulsed within her womb. A strange sense of pride washed over him and he wrapped his arms around her shoulders, kissing her neck._

Tears rolled down Drake's face as he held Anubis tighter to him, the memories were ruining this moment, reminding him of what he had said earlier, the accusations of Anubis in the park. No, he didn't want to think of that! How he had forced Anubis to become jealous just to prove his own worth. Not now! Not when he felt such regret of putting his beloved Anubis aside like a common plaything! No . . .

_Drake sat there, watching the door, "You can't keep me here!"_

_He knew they were listening, but what the hell did it matter now? They wouldn't open the door and he wouldn't leave even if they did._

_Danica came through the door, her eyes watching him warily, mouth parted because of over-sized fangs, "You keep saying that, but we know you aren't going anywhere, Drake."_

_He glared at her, standing up slowly, his eyes blazed with anger, "Where is he?"_

_"We don't know and neither do you.” She said softly, taking a step back, obviously tired of repeating herself, "What difference does it make?"_

_Drake laughed harshly, "Difference? He is my past, my history! I will not ask again, find him." He refused to say ‘my mate’ or ‘my deepest and only love’, not to this . . . creature, sick in the knowledge that she could easily use that against him._

_"And where, my lord, should we start looking? He chose his resting place and you don't know where it was. Anubis could be anywhere or nowhere, we'd be wasting valuable time by looking for him. Time we don't have. Are you not satisfied with what I have to offer? If you prefer a male, then Asher would be more than happy to oblige."_

_Drake's whole body began to shudder, his anger manifesting itself as his body changed, "Get out."_

_He watched her retreat, then he curled into the corner, at a loss for what he was supposed to do, he didn't even know where he was, it was a city, but where? And, where was Anubis? Why wouldn't they let him look for his beloved? Simple, to keep him in line. Drake swallowed, he wanted to rip this place apart and take off in search of Anubis . . . but where to begin looking? Anubis and he had agreed not to tell the other where they would rest, so he did not know where Anubis even was. What if he was de-_

_"No!" Drake roared, slamming his fist into the floor, no, he would not think of that now, not now . . ._

Drake laid there, closing his eyes tightly, desperately trying to escape the cacophony of his own mind. It wasn't fair to have these thoughts now, not when he had what he wanted right here in his arms, to hell with everything else, he just wanted to stay here forever. Drake rolled onto his side, tucking Anubis into his arms, trying to stay as close as possible to him.

* * *

 

Anubis woke up the next morning, yawning and stretching, a smile creeping across his face as he looked down at Drake who was fast asleep, eyes darting about behind closed lids.

"Drake . . . wake up." Anubis whispered, running a hand over the sleeping man's stomach.

"Mm?" Drake's eyes opened slowly, he shook his head slightly, trying to clear the memories and troubled dreams from the night, "Morning."

"Good morning, my love." Anubis smiled, settling onto Drake, resting his arms on the older vampire's chest, "Last night was incredible, best sex we've had in awhile."

"I concur." Drake chuckled, tucking some of Anubis's hair behind his ear, "How do you feel?"

“Wonderfully sore, I just want to stay in bed for awhile. Maybe take a long bath . . . " Anubis smiled, kissing Drake's chin gently, "Mm, I could always have you for breakfast, so delicious."

“Hehe, I'll bet," Drake smiled, propping himself up on his elbows to shove another pillow under his head, "I already had breakfast scheduled to arrive in a few hours.”

"How thoughtful of you." Anubis yawned hugely, nestling his head against Drake's massive chest.

"Hm, go back to sleep." Drake whispered, stroking his long hair, "We'll eat later when the food comes."

"Mm." Anubis yawned again, and then fell asleep.

Drake blinked once before settling back into the pillows, " . . . We have plenty of time."

* * *

 

Hannibal smiled, staring up at the sky, his fingers running over Abigail's soft curly hair.

"Wow."

"Yeah." She smiled, her hand resting on his chest.

"No, I mean, like, WOW!" He smiled down at her, "That is one fantastic sunrise."

"Yeah." She smiled, sitting up on the roof of HQ, "I feel like IHOP, what about you?"

"Yeah, that sounds good." Hannibal smiled, "I'll get the little squirt."

"Okay."

Hannibal watched her go and realized they'd laid up there all night, which meant he'd have to change his clothes and take a quit shower before Anubis and Drake got-

"Hey," He said, walking into the door, noticing Blade meditating in the corner, "Anyone seen the dynamic duo?"

"No." Abigail leaned out of the bathroom, a toothbrush in her mouth.

"Huh, thought they'd be back by now." Hannibal shrugged, "Oh well, they're big boys, they can take care of themselves. Hey, Blade, you want pancakes?"

Blade, as expected, said nothing, fuck, he didn't even move, was he breathing? Hannibal leaned ot the side, eyebrow quirked, "Yoohoo, Blade, you want IHOP?"

Hannibal waved a hand in front of the day-walker's face, nope, nothing.

"Abby, I think Blade is dead." Hannibal muttered, leaning into the bathroom door.

"No, he's just sleeping." Abigail spit into the sink.

"He sleeps sitting up like that? Doesn't his butt go numb?" Hannibal shook his head.

"Don't think too hard about it, go get Zoe." Abigail patted Hannibal's cheek, stepping around him to her room.

"N'kay, but I'm telling you, Blade is one weird dude." Hannibal shook his head, walking past Blade's inert form, resisting the urge to check the man's pulse before hopping up the stairs and pulling the curtain back on Zoe's room, "Hey kiddo let's . . . Zoe?"

He looked around in confusion, where was she? He searched through the small room, nope, not there.

"Hey, Abby, Zoe down here?" Hannibal leaned against the kitchen doorway.

"No, I thought you went up to . . . what's wrong?" Abigail's face changed slowly into mild panic.

"She's not upstairs . . . " Hannibal felt his heart clench painfully, "Blade?"

He ran out to where Blade was kneeling, "Hey! Wake the fuck up!"

The day-walker didn't move, he didn't do anything. Hannibal grabbed onto him and shoved hard, Blade fell over onto the floor.

"Shit . . . is he?" Abigail leaned over the inert form.

"No . . . he isn't dead, just, drugged." Hannibal pulled a dart out of the back of Blade's shoulder, something he hadn't noticed before.

"Who . . . Who could have done this?" Abigail whispered.

"I-I don't kn-"

"What's going on?"

They both looked up and there was Drake with his arm around Anubis's shoulders.

"Where were you two?" Abigail rounded on them, her tone accusing the obvious.

"Um, it's our anniversary, we were out celebrating, do you want the details?" Anubis took a step back, narrowing his eyes.

"What's going on?" Drake asked again, moving to stand over Blade's body, watching as he started to come around.

"Zoe's missing and Blade was knocked out and I bet if we'd been around, we'd be dead." Hannibal explained, gesturing around.

"What?" Drake's head snapped up.

"Here, we found this in Blade's shoulder."

Drake took the dart and stared at it, sniffing at it slightly, his spine stiffening, "Asher."

"What? I thought he was dead." Abigail took a step toward him.

"No, he was gone when the fighting started, little fucking coward." Hannibal snarled, "Well, pancakes are going to have to wait."

"Right, first we need to find the bastard and rescue Nin- er, Zoe." Drake quickly went into the armory, strapping on his sword. Anubis sighed,

"Well, so much for having some down-time."

"Our work is never done." Abigail muttered, "You alright, Blade?"

Blade slowly sat up, staring around in what might have been confusion, "What the fuck happened?"

"Nevermind," Drake snarled, "We'll explain on the way there."


	6. Chapter 6

Drake snarled, pacing angrily back and forth, his hands twisting and untwisting into clawed fists, he turned to Anubis who was standing there, watching him with concern.

"We shouldn't be standing around, we should be out looking for her!"

"Drake, please, try to calm down, we first need to establish what we're dealing with." Anubis sighed, "We don't know where she is, what Asher wants, or how many vampires he has working for him."

"It doesn't matter!" Drake roared, his eyes flashing dangerously, "She's out there!"

"Drake, please, calm down, they're working on it." Anubis carefully put his hands on Drake's shoulders, directing him to a chair and forcing him to sit, "It's alright, Asher won't hurt her if he wants to live."

Drake glared at him, but then he sighed, rubbing at his face, "I won't lose her, Anubis, not again, my heart can't take it."

Anubis knelt in front of him, resting his hands on Drake's knees, "You won't lose her."

Drake looked up, his fingers brushing Anubis's cheek, "You always try to reassure me, thank you."

Anubis smiled, closing his eyes and leaning into the touch, "Don't worry." He enfolded Drake’s head in his arms and gently pressed his brawny lover’s cheek to his chest, “We can beat this.”

* * *

 

"Well?" Abigail asked softly, looking up from the computer, "Does this make any sense to you?"

"Should it?" Hannibal leaned over her shoulder.

Blade stared at the photo, shaking his head, "No, I've never seen that place before."

"According to the analysis on the dart, this is where we need to g-"

"Then what are we doing still here?"

They all looked up and there was Drake, his mouth open showing rows of fangs, his fingers morphed into wicked claws, eyes blazing. Anubis hurried up behind him, trying to take Drake's arm, but he was shaken off.

"What does this have to do with you?" Abigail stood up, glaring at Drake.

"It has everything to do with me!" Drake roared, lunging the few steps into the room.

"How so?" Abigail snapped, standing toe-to-toe with the ancient vampire, "If you never came back, none of this would have happened! Zoe would still be safe and not in the clutches of a fucking vampire! It's all your fault!"

"If I hadn't come back, you'd probably both be dead by now!" Drake yelled, advancing a step, making Hannibal and Blade's hands snap to their weapons.

"As if we needed your help!" Abigail shrieked, hardly intimidated by him, "She isn't Ningae, Drake!"

Drake took a step back, stunned obviously, Anubis held breath he didn't need.

"What makes you think you can ever be anything to her?" Abigail was on a full-blown tirade.

"Whoa, Abby, uh, let's not anger the guy that could kill us-" Hannibal tried to grab her arm, but she threw him back.

"Shut up, Hannibal, I am so fucking sick of you sticking up for them!" She turned back to Drake, "You fucking killed her mother, you son of a bitch! And now you want to go and be her _father_ or something _?_ What the hell is wrong with you? It isn't her fault that your own daughter bit the dust! Or did you kill her too? I can't believe you- "

Abigail stopped, her words dying in her throat. Drake stood there, his whole body trembling, fists no longer clenched at his sides. They all just stared at the vampire, probably afraid he was about to pounce, Drake swallowed, looking off to the side and taking a deep breath,

"Ningae . . . She, uh, she got sick." Drake said softly, looking at Abigail, "She got sick and didn't get better and she . . . she died. My gift . . . my _curse_ did kill her, her half-human body with it’s immune system burned itself out, the vampire fought with the human in her and it killed her. Slowly, painfully, killed her.”

There was silence, Abigail blinked, lowering her gaze.

"Don't think that just because my heart doesn't beat that it can't break." Drake turned and walked back out of the room.

Anubis glared at Abigail, "You stupid bitch." and stalked out.

Hannibal winced, turning to look at Abigail, "Really? Really, Abby?"

She blinked at the spot where Drake had been standing.

Blade shook his head, "Fucking drama queens."

The big vampire hunter left the room, leaving just Hannibal and Abigail, but it didn't really make much of a difference, neither spoke for a bit.

"You think you can just insult someone like that and then expect them to help us? What the fuck is going through your head?" Hannibal demanded, "We need him, whether you want to admit it or not and if you don't want to, then tough beans! You can stay here and think about what you've done!"

"What're you-" Abigail started to yell.

"No, not now, you _do not_ get to defend yourself! He has done nothing but protect Zoe, and you know something, you've stood around bitching about how much you hate them! I am so fucking sorry that vampires killed your dad and his family, who you either barely knew or never met, I'm so fucking sorry that I used to be a vampire, and I'm so fucking sorry that we can't all be perfect little humans like you, but, dammit why don't you just shut up and let it be?"

Hannibal stood there, huffing after his speech, but, he felt as much hurt as he ever had before. He'd hoped that after awhile, Abigail would stop flinching away from every kiss like she thought he would sprout fangs again. He couldn't stand how she acted toward Drake and Anubis, yes, they had fought Drake before, yes, they killed dozens of vampires at night, and, yes, Drake killed their friends . . . but it scared him when he thought that that was the way she felt about him, that he was still a threat, that she was afraid of him made his chest ache like nothing else.

Abigail stood there, her mouth hung slack, "Hannibal, I-"

"Just leave it!" Hannibal snapped, turning to the desk and planting his hands firmly on it, taking a deep breath, "Alright? Just . . . just don't."

Abigail stared at him, she slowly, carefully took a few steps forward, pressing her hand on his back, "I'm . . . I'm sorry."

"Don't tell me that." Hannibal whispered, closing his eyes.

"No, I am, I'm sorry." Abigail pressed her cheek to his shoulder.

Hannibal reached back, taking her hand in his, "Thank you."

"I . . . I forget sometimes, that you were one of them. I forget because you're so brave and you do such a good job at protecting all of us.” She kissed his hand, "I'm not afraid of you."

Hannibal turned around, wrapping his arms around her, "I would _never_ hurt you. That's a promise, and you need to trust me."

"I trust you." Abigail murmured, putting her head on his shoulder.

* * *

Anubis stood at the bedroom door, finding it closed, he knocked hesitantly,

"Drake?"

"It isn't locked."

Anubis gently opened the door, Drake was sitting there on the bed, staring out the window. Anubis walked slowly over to the bed, sitting down next to Drake, looking at his mate and shocked to find tears rolling Drake’s face even as the older vampire’s face stayed still and resolute as stone. He took Drake's hand in his, rubbing the larger hand with his thumb.

"I . . . " Drake lowered his chin, shaking his head, "I just wanted to fix . . . to fix my mistakes. I couldn't hold onto Ningae, I couldn't fix her, she just slipped through my fingers . . . “

"I know." Anubis leaned his head on Drake's shoulder.

"I . . . just wanted to keep her safe." Drake closed his eyes, biting his lip, "I was so . . . dammit, I was so scared when Danica told me to kill her, the only way I could keep her safe was to keep her in my room."

Anubis gently put his other arm behind Drake's back. He thought it best he didn't say anything yet, even though it would seem that Drake was mixing the past in with the present, not breaking the pronoun to distinguish when Ningae ended and Zoe began.

" . . . she doesn't even think I'm a vampire, she doesn't care, she . . . she would come near me and she isn't afraid." Drake closed his eyes, covering his face with his free hand, "Anubis, I love that child, truly . . . "

"I know, Drake," Anubis kissed Drake's neck.

Drake stared at Anubis, "I'm sorry, I . . . I'm doing it again. You don't need to be reminded of that."

Anubis sighed, "Drake, darling?"

"Hm?" Drake looked at him, and Anubis punched him in the face, so hard that he was flung off the bed and landed heavily to the floor on his back, completely stunned, " . . . Ouch."

"You're right, that does make me feel better." Anubis smiled hopping down on Drake, putting his hands on either side of Drake's head, his long ponytail trailing down one shoulder, "Yes, much better . . . and horny."

Drake sighed, “Anubis . . . not now please?”

“ _Drake_.” Anubis insisted, pushing his erection against Drake’s belt buckle.

“Huh, so, causing me physical pain gives you a boner? Interesting, I should look into masochism." Drake sighed resignedly, sliding his hand up Anubis's shirt, fingering one of his nipples.

"Mm, Drake . . . " Anubis sighed, tucking his chin into his chest.

"Hm, no, wait," Drake shook his head, sitting up, "Don't, we need to focus."

"Rgh, Drake, I'm hard,” Anubis growled, shoving him back down, "The humans are handling it, now, handle _me_."

Drake stared at him, "Love, I really don't think-"

Anubis slammed his hands on Drake's chest, "Suck me off, Drake, now."

Drake blinked slowly, drawing his lips over his fangs in a wary snarl, "Alright, Anubis, alright."

Anubis let Drake sit up, the bigger man pushing him onto the floor. Anubis pressed his back to the bed, his knees spread and pulled up. Drake's hand slid to Anubis's crotch, rubbing at the obvious denim bulge.

"You know, I love these jeans on you, any jeans really." Drake whispered, unzipping Anubis's pants.

"More than my skimpy, almost see-through silk garments? More than those lingerie I used to wear?" Anubis reached up, pulling on the sheets, twisting them in his fist.

"Oh, yes, to see that ass of yours lovingly hugged by denim, lifted to it's full potential, mmm." Drake purred, tugging the jeans to Anubis's knees, then the boxers.

"Ah, I'll remember that, tell me, boot-cut or skinny?" Anubis gasped, his cock slick with pre-cum, hard as a rock.

"Huh?" Drake quirked an eyebrow.

"Ugh, nevermind, you fashion-retardant horn-dog." Anubis bit his lip, looking down at Drake, who was crouching over him, his hands gripping Anubis's thighs.

"I don't need to know anything, I've got you." Drake lowered his mouth slowly over the leaking head. He kept lowering until his nose brushed the nest of thick black curls.

"Hah, yes, you've- oh!- you've got me!" Anubis gasped, pushing his hips up into Drake's mouth, feeling his cock brushing the back of the older man's throat.

Drake snorted and swallowed hard, causing Anubis to buck his ass off the floor at least four inches. The older vampire pushed Anubis back to the bed, his hand dipping down between Anubis's legs and grabbing onto his balls, rolling his fingers against them. He didn’t want to admit this but . . . he needed this right now, to help him forget if only for a moment of the turmoil in his own mind, to feel Anubis’s feet scrabble for purchase on the floor as his ecstasy started to become unbearable, to know he was still needed and wanted and that he had a responsibility to pleasure another creature . . . that there was even another creature that wanted him in the first place . . . all of it.

"Oh, gods!" Anubis panted, his hand snapped down, grabbing at Drake's shirt (considering the man had no hair to tangle his fingers in, Anubis had to do his best), twisting it until he felt a few stitches give way.

"Not so rough on the shirt, love," Drake warned, lifting his mouth up for a moment, "I like it."

"M-Me too," Anubis grit his teeth, one foot kicking out and catching Drake's side. "Agh!"

"My my, you're vocal today, aren't you?" Drake chuckled, his fingers still rolling insistently, then he got a handful, squeezing tightly, "You've needed this, haven't you? I wish you'd just ask me."

"Ah-hagh!" Anubis yelped, sliding down onto his back, "OH MY GODS!"

"Yes, you are . . . very vocal." Drake laughed, shoving his fingers into his mouth, sucking hard on them, then sliding two into Anubis, prodding and twisting. It seemed more than Anubis could bear, he gasped, arching back onto Drake's roaming fingers.

"Dammit, Drake!" Anubis growled, then, he came all over himself, “Nnnnngh! Mmmmmph!”

Drake smiled, watching the display, listening to Anubis's desperate little noises as he came off his erotic high, as the last of his seed was expelled and his erection softened.

"Oh, fuck." Anubis sighed, breathing in slowly, "Damn, I've made a mess."

"Not that bad." Drake sat up, leaning on the bed, "Really."

"Hm, well," Anubis sat up, grimacing at the slickness as he pulled his pants up, "Why don't we scoot on over and see how the little humans are doing?"

Drake blinked, looking out the window, "You can get in the shower, and I'll go."

"You sure?" Anubis tilted his head to the side.

"Yes."

* * *

Drake walked into the Archive room, Hannibal was standing with Blade, but when they saw Drake, Hannibal quickly dragged Blade to the Armory. Abigail looked up from the computer; a map of the city displayed there, watching the two men leave, then she turned in her chair, staring at Drake.

She slowly stood up, "I . . . I'm sorry about, um, about what I said."

Drake stared at her, "It doesn't matter, just help me bring her back."

"No, I . . . I mean it." Abigail sighed, "I just want Zoe to be safe."

"We all do, with the exception of Blade, perhaps." Drake shrugged, "Do you know where she could be?"

"Yes." Abigail nodded, turning back to the computer, "The dart came from a small warehouse not far from our base, but, I can't hack into the security cameras, so, I don't know how many or if they're even there anymore."

Drake huffed in frustration, "Only one way to find out. Tell the others that we're leaving. Now."

* * *

Anubis slipped his blades onto his forearms, "So, into the fray again?"

Drake nodded, "Here, put this on."

Anubis blinked, "You can't be serious? Drake, I was _joking_ before."

"You've been wounded every time we go out, put it on."

"Look, Drake, I appreciate it, but, don't you think it's a little, I don't know, pathetic?"

Drake held the Kevlar vest out, "Put it on."

"Alright, alright, don't get your panties in a knot." Anubis rolled his eyes, slipping the vest on and strapping it in place, "Happy?"

"Mm, just promise me you'll _try_ to be safe." Drake brushed Anubis's hair off his shoulder.

"I promise." Anubis grumbled, twisting a bit, "This completely restricts movement, you know?"

"It keeps you safe, what difference does it make?" Drake sighed, strapping his sword to his waist.

"Well, why don't we roll me up in bubble wrap? I'm sure nothing will get me then." Anubis chuckled, taking a step toward Drake, "Mm, no shirt, please?"

Drake blinked at him, "We're about to rush into battle to save a fair maiden, and all you can think about is sex?"

"Can't help it," Anubis purred, pressing his hands on Drake's chest, tugging on the gray t-shirt, which really, was so tight it was like a second skin, so why wear anything at all? "I want you inside me, with all that wonderful lube, gods, that stuff is incredible, it even tastes good."

"Have you been _eating_ it?" Drake wrinkled his nose.

"No~ . . . well, maybe." Anubis shrugged, "C'mon, no shirt?"

"Hm, fine." Drake slipped his shirt over his head, "How's that?"

"Mm, ye-es." Anubis smiled, leaning forward and mouthing the scar-glyph.

"Oh, um, Anubis?" Drake pulled away, rushing over to one of the cabinets and rifling through it.

Anubis huffed, "Yeah?"

"I got something for you." Drake stepped back and went to the next cabinet, chucking things out, "You see, um, nowadays, humans have this law, I just learned of it recently."

"A law?" Anubis leaned against one of the tables with an array of weapons on it, not amused that making out had been interrupted to discuss the human judicial system..

"Yes, a law, ah! I've found it!" Drake stepped back, biting his lip and clutching at something, "You see, it's called 'Common Law', and . . . and it says that when a couple has lived together for seven years or longer, they are legally married."

Anubis swallowed, his face reddening and he looked off to the side self-consciously, "You don't say . . . "

"I believe that we were legally married over two thousand and twenty three years ago." Drake fidgeted, turning around, "So, uh . . . here."

He held out a small wooden box with his glyph carved into the lid. Anubis blinked at it,

"What is it?"

"I made it. I meant to give it to you on our anniversary, but, ah, we got distracted and then everything happened and . . . well, here."

Anubis took the box and opened it slowly, his breath catching, "Oh, my gods, Drake . . . it's beautiful."

The ring was a thick white gold band, a large blood ruby with a rose carved into it set in the middle, surrounded by tiny diamonds and either side was etched with a design that matched Anubis's tattoos.

Drake blushed deeply, "The large stone is from my circlet . . . and the diamonds are from one of your earrings that I kept. The band was more difficult, I had to find something with enough gold in it, unfortunately it was one of those goblets from Egypt . . . "

Anubis looked at him, "I . . . I don't have a ring for you."

Drake smiled, "Well, if that's a yes, then I made myself a ring."

Anubis snorted, admiring his ring, “Of course it’s a ‘yes’, now show me yours.”

Drake produced another thick white gold band, this one set with a large obsidian stone carved into the shape of a dragon, it was so ornate, so intricate that you could see each scale and the little eye sockets were set with the smallest rubies Anubis had ever seen.

"How did you do that? It's such delicate carving on both of them." Anubis's eyes widened in wonder.

"With my claws. It did take a long time." Drake nodded, he took Anubis's ring and slid it up the vampire's left ring finger, then he let Anubis put his on.

"I love you." Anubis whispered, linking their hands, staring at the rings as they glinted in the light from the overheads.

"And I love you, for all eternity, until the Earth breaks open and the fires of Hell spill out, I would gladly walk through the gates of Oblivion as long as you are at my side." Drake cupped Anubis's face with his free hand.

"Hm," Anubis leaned into the touch, "My husband, finally all mine."

"Yes, I'm sorry it took so fucking long." Drake chuckled, "You realize that this means we can go on a honeymoon?"

“Heh," Anubis smiled up at Drake, "Where shall we go?"

"I thought we should go back to Egypt and to my homeland, then, we will go away." Drake murmured.

"Go away?" Anubis backed up, "Where?"

"Anubis, I made a mistake, we should leave this time behind, to go back to our rest, but together this time." Drake leaned forward, engulfing Anubis in his embrace, "As husbands forever."

"Huh, more like forever and then some." Anubis sighed, "You really want to go away?"

"I remember you telling me that when you said it was time to go, then we go, well, I've decided for myself that it is time." Drake ran his hand over Anubis's hair, "When Zoe is back with the Nightstalkers again, we will go and we will not look back."

"If that is what you want." Anubis kissed Drake's chin gently, "Then that is what we will do."

"But, together this time, when we wake, I will not go through that again, the pain of not knowing where you are or if you're alright."

"Of course."

* * *

The two went into the garage where Hannibal and Abigail where standing by the black SUV.

"Nice rings." Hannibal nodded at them.

"Thanks." Anubis hopped into the front seat, reaching for the door, but Drake stopped him.

"No, I get shotgun, out." Drake jerked his thumb toward the back.

"Bite me." Anubis growled.

"Later, darling, not in front of the humans." Drake hissed.

"Aw, already fighting like an old married couple." Hannibal smiled, "So, who's wearing the dress?"

"You are, I decided you get to be our maid of honor, Zoe is the flower girl, Abby's the best man, and Blade can be an usher." Anubis smiled, slamming the car door.

"Why is Abby the best man?" Hannibal asked, climbing into the back with Drake.

"She has more balls than you do, thus she's the _best_ man." Anubis shrugged.

"Ahah, very funny." Hannibal rolled his eyes, leaning over Abby's seat, "So, where is Blade, anywho?"

"He said something about needing more serum and then he drove off."

"Funny, right when I think I want that motherfucker around, he takes off." Drake sighed, sitting back in his seat.

"Yes, well, that's how he rolls. Blade's always been a loner." Hannibal smiled nervously.

"We don't need him, I suppose, that Asher bastard won't be that difficult to take down, his sister's empire has fallen, their familiars scattered, and I doubt he was able to pull enough vampires to his cause to make a difference." Drake turned his hand as they passed under streetlights, staring at how his ring flashed in the light as they sped on.

"Where'd you guys get the rings?" Hannibal asked, looking over at Drake's.

"I made them." Drake said softly, "I suppose this makes me gay, then?"

"I wouldn't say that, knowing you'd probably kill me." Hannibal shrugged.

"I've fucked plenty of women in my lifetime, but I'm not partial to them, pussy's nice if there's nothing else, and I've only ever been attracted to Anubis as a male, so I don't really like dick." Drake sighed, "I don't know what I am, to be honest."

"Let's stick with bisexual, it doesn't complicate things." Abby rolled her eyes.

"What's wrong, Abigail, are they making you uncomfortable?" Anubis asked.

"No, I just never understood how guys can sit around talking about dicks and not be gay." Abigail snorted.

"We're not talking about dicks." Hannibal pointed out.

"Danica, now she talked about dicks." Drake crossed his arms.

"Yeah, if I remember correctly, that bitch had massive penis envy." Hannibal laughed.

"Really?" Drake chuckled.

"Yep, she was a pseudo-straight bitch that wanted to be a gay dude."

"So glad you two have something you can talk about." Abigail muttered.

"For the record, I'm not one of them." Anubis sighed, shaking his head and admiring at his ring.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Double update!!

Drake stepped out of the vehicle, his body morphing slowly as he scanned the area, unsheathing his sword and taking several steps forward, Anubis followed slowly behind him, the blades on his forearms clicking out slowly. Hannibal and Abigail walked slowly out to the sides, their weapons drawn and at the ready as Drake pushed the warehouse door open, only to stumble back, shrieking as steam issued from his eyes, a familiar laughed and backed into the warehouse, the empty vial shattering on the floor.

Anubis's eyes widened, looking down at Drake, who had changed back, clutching his eyes and rolling on the ground, uttering oaths and curses in Sumerian. Anubis turned and leaped through the doorway, pinning the human to a shelving unit.

"There are few things that piss me off, mortal," Anubis hissed, holding the blades to the human's throat, "Mismatched clothing, country music, people that think they know what a vampire is, and, anyone hurting my Drake. So, why don't you start telling me everything you know?"

"I-I don't know anything! Asher told us you'd come here and we were supposed to ambush Blade and Drake, but Blade was already here and-"

He didn't get to finish, Anubis lifted him into the air, and with an almighty roar, ripped the human in half, blood spilled over the ancient vampire as he threw down the still-twitching halves of the carcass, moving back to the entrance. Drake was still laying there, pressing the heels of both hands into his eyes, but he was very still now.

Anubis picked up a shard of the vial and sniffed it, grimacing and chucking it, "Damn, holy water."

"Holy water? I thought that was a myth." Abigail stared at Drake.

"Ah, well, the same way that we aren't affected by a stake to the heart or sunlight or garlic, we are vulnerable to true Holy Water, blessed in the Vatican, laced with the prayers of the Saints, that sort of thing. Drake, can you hear me?"

Drake snarled, muttering softly, _"Yes."_

"Alright, let me see." Anubis tried to pry Drake's hands from his face, but Drake held them there, "Come on, Drake, don't be such a pussy."

Drake snarled loudly, but it ended in a long, plaintive whine as Anubis successfully pulled his hands away.

"Fuck me . . . " Hannibal stared, shaking his head.

Drake's eyes were totally destroyed, burned out of their sockets with just melted flesh roped across the recesses, and it wasn't healing at all.

"Why isn't it . . . ?" Abigail leaned forward to get a better look.

"Holy water meets son of the devil scenario. Drake, I'm going in to slaughter anyone in there, do you mind?" Anubis leaned close to Drake.

" _No, go ahead, I'm fine."_ Drake hissed, waving a hand vaguely, " _I'll just, ah, lay here and writhe for a bit._ "

"Alright, come on, he's fine by himself. I need some blood." Anubis turned and lunged into the warehouse.

* * *

An hour later, they were no closer to finding Zoe, Drake was blind, probably permanently if he didn't start healing soon, and Anubis was starting to get antsy.

"Ow!" Drake roared, pushing out in front of him, knocking Anubis flat.

"Fuck!" Anubis growled, standing up and rubbing his ass, "Will you cut that out?"

Drake snarled, backing up to the wall, gripping about miserably, "I'm blind! I’m fucking _blind_!!”

"No, not yet you aren't." Anubis growled, "Now, come back here."

"Where _is_ here?" Drake shouted at him, his whole body trembling.

Anubis stopped short, staring at Drake for a second, then he reached out his hand, carefully taking Drake's hand and leading the larger man back to the stool he'd been sitting on, setting it back upright.

"Here, sit down." Anubis directed gently.

Drake sat down slowly, clenching his fists on his knees, not turning his head to face where he thought Anubis was. There was silence, Anubis gently ran a hand over Drake's cheek, leaning forward to gently kiss his forehead, Drake groped through the air until his arms were around Anubis's waist, he pushed his forehead into the narrow chest, taking a shuddering breath,

"This wasn't supposed to happen." Drake murmured, his voice wavering slightly.

Anubis ran his hand over Drake's head, his other hand pressed to the other's shoulder, " . . . we'll get through this, we always make it out okay."

Drake didn't reply at first, "How did he know?"

"Danica must have told him." Anubis whispered.

"It was the real thing, wasn't it?" Drake whispered, clutching Anubis so tight that it was a good thing the dark vampire didn't have to breathe.

"Unfortunately, yes, you aren't healing, at all." Anubis's shoulders slumped, "I'll think of something."

Drake slowly raised his chin, Anubis held in a flinch at the sight of the melted, twisted flesh, marring Drake's perfect face,

"There is nothing, Anubis." Drake shook his head, Anubis could hear the desperation in Drake's voice.

Anubis didn't speak for several seconds,

"You're still the sexiest thing on this plane to me." He murmured.

Drake didn't hold it in this time, he buried his face into Anubis's shirt, he couldn't even make tears anymore. Anubis held his husband trying to hold himself together, there was no use both of them losing it right now, Drake needed at least one of them to be strong.

* * *

"So, Drake's out, Blade's in bumblefuck knows where, and we still haven't a fucking clue of where Zoe is." Hannibal ran a hand through his hair, plunking down on the couch.

"Yep." Abigail whispered, pulling her knees up.

Hannibal looked over at her, his arms going out automatically, pulling her against his side, "Hey, we'll find her, don't worry."

"How?" Abigail looked at him, "Hannibal, our hardest hitters are wounded or missing, Anubis is a good fighter, but, let's face it, he's like Merton Dingle, he does better with information gathering and eye-candy then he does at hand-to-hand combat."

"You thought Merton from Big Wolf on Campus was eye-candy?" Hannibal raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"I was fourteen, okay?" Abigail rolled her eyes, "Anyway, what are we going to do?"

"Well, we go back to the warehouse and have our sniffer-dogs take a look around, put our paranoia caps on and, bam!, we rescue Zoe, shove a silver stake up Asher's ass, and everything goes back to normal." Hannibal smiled reassuringly, even though on the inside he was panicking enough to have cardiac arrest.

* * *

Zoe looked up at the skinny vampire standing over her, talking frantically in a foreign language to someone, then, he started speaking English,

"Yes, we're moving her again, I don't know where yet- . . . Yes, that is a good idea." He smiled wickedly, looking right at Zoe with his sunken eyes, "Hm, yes."

The vampire left, so Zoe climbed off her stool and went as far as the chain around her waist would allow, pushing a box out of the way, her finger working away at the dry wall, then, she sat back, looking at her handiwork, finally, she tore a piece of her shirt off, just like at the warehouse, she tucked the scrap into a crack on the wall, then she shoved the box back and hurried to the stool as the door opened.

"Ugh, humans, so filthy, look, it's shirt is falling apart." a female vampire sniffed, glaring at Zoe.

"Whatever." The male shrugged.

Zoe smiled up at them, "When Drake finds me, he's going to tear you both to pieces."

The female smiled, leaning forward, her face mere inches from Zoe's, fangs protruding obscenely from her mouth, "You think so? Well, if the plan worked, your Drake will have a very hard time _finding_ anything."

Zoe didn't like the sound of that, but she didn't say anything, trying to keep her cool and remember that Drake would tear the world apart looking for her and if he didn't, then Hannibal and Abigail would, so there.

* * *

Drake fumbled about, his hands sweeping along the floor, he couldn't find it!

"Dammit!" Drake finally sat back on his heels miserably, he reached up, touching the bandages Anubis had wrapped over his wounds. He felt useless, utterly useless, certainly his senses of smell, touch, hearing, and taste were extremely developed, even for a vampire, but, without his sight, he was lost, he could hear but, every sound came from an unknown origin, causing him to jump in surprise. Drake backed up into a corner when he heard footsteps, his head moving about to try and find the source of the noise.

"Drake, it's alright."

Drake felt Anubis put his soft, warm hands on his shoulder. Drake gasped, his hands reached out, gripping onto Anubis's arms,

"I can't take this! I can't do it! This is fucking bullshit!" Drake said frantically through gritted teeth.

"Drake, Drake, listen to me, calm down, no, Drake, hey!" Anubis put his hands on either side of the struggling vampire's face, holding him there, "Take a deep breath."

"I don't need to breathe!" Drake snarled, fear causing his voice to crack, precariously on the edge of full-on panic.

"Drake! Stop!" Anubis shook Drake as hard as he could, forcing the older vampire onto the floor, sitting on top of him and holding him there.

Drake heaved several long breaths, his hands scrabbling about until they found Anubis's sides, he dug his fingers into the warm flesh of Anubis's thighs.

"What do I do? I can't fight like this! I can't rescue her if I can't see her!" Drake sobbed, his whole body seemed to be alive with terrified, nervous energy as he twitched on the floor.

"Drake," Anubis gently ran his fingers over Drake's cheeks, "Love, listen to me, if you can't, I will. I promise you, I will bring her back, I will do this, for you."

Drake sobbed, "Anubis . . . I'm . . . I'm so scared . . . I can't see anything . . . "

"Well, I suppose its my turn to protect you?" Anubis sighed, sliding off Drake's stomach and helping him to sit up, "In the meantime, come on, get up."

Drake tried to stand, his body wobbled and he almost fell again, reasons why he'd been crawling on the floor, without his eyesight his balance was off-kilter, “I lost my ring, Anubis . . . I put it on the bedstand but then I dropped it somewhere around here."

"I got it, love." Anubis bent over, picking up the ring, slipping it on Drake's finger and kissing him on the cheek, "There."

Drake sighed, allowing Anubis to lead him to their bedroom, "Now what?"

"We go to sleep, then, the Nightstalkers want us to go back to the warehouse and see if we can find anything." Anubis sat Drake on the bed, pushing him down and helping him out of his clothes.

"I know that, I mean, right _now_ what do we do?" Drake whispered, laying very still as Anubis undid his belt.

Anubis stopped, looking down at Drake, "I . . . I don't know."

Drake swallowed, "Anubis?"

Anubis bit his lip when Drake reached out for him, searching for him, his hand moving about to try and find his husband . . . . Anubis finally took his wandering hand, “I’m right here, love."

Drake gripped Anubis's hand, gasping angrily, gritting his teeth, "I hate this . . . dammit! FUCK! I'm so fucking useless! How the fuck can I protect you or find Zoe or anything? Motherfucking useless!"

Anubis blinked, feeling the bones in his hands cracking, "Drake, calm down, love, please?"

He carefully pulled Drake into his arms, pressing his face to Drake's head, hugging him as tight as he could. Drake sobbed dryly into his chest, his fingers gripping onto Anubis's shirt, ripping it slightly in his desperation to not loose him, to not have to find him again. Drake rarely broke down, but he felt oddly safe here with Anubis . . . even if he only knew it was Anubis by smell and touch.

* * *

"So, we go back to the warehouse . . . " Hannibal was sitting up on the workbench. He didn't much like their chances now, "How's Drake?"

Anubis looked up, " . . . to be honest, traumatized."

"Oh." Hannibal closed his eyes.

"I don't know if he'll muddle through this one, he isn't healing at all, and he almost drained me and it didn't do an ounce of good." Anubis pressed his hands on the table, his lip shaking, "I don't know what else to do . . . "

"What about your tattoos? Isn't there something there?" Hannibal suggested.

Anubis laughed mirthlessly, "I can't read them . . . Drake can . . . " He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to his arms, "I only knew the one for resurrection because Drake made me recite it, just in case something happened to him . . . "

Hannibal puffed out his cheeks, "Oh, fuck."

"Yes, _oh fuck_." Anubis mumbled.

* * *

Drake laid there, his whole body seemed to hum, but . . . he didn't want to do anything about it, he thought if he just stayed put, nothing bad would happen, he wouldn't fall or bump into things, he wouldn't look like the ridiculous fool. No, he was Lord of all vampires, a king, a mighty warrior.

"A fucking blind, useless, old man." He muttered darkly, then he sensed someone in the room with him, "Anubis?"

No reply, Drake knew Anubis _would not_ fuck around like that, and he'd know that it _was not_ funny to sneak up on Drake right now.

The mattress sagged with extra weight, Drake propped himself up on his elbows, trying to recognize who it was, but . . . he knew that scent for some reason, oily . . . burnt almost, like an old campfire or furnace. The real panic began when hands were slipping the bandages off his face, he pulled away, batting away the hands,

"Stop it!" Drake slipped back, trying to escape, only to feel his hand slip and suddenly he was on his back on the floor, "Oof!"

"Hm, look at you, helpless, pathetic . . . if only you'd listened to me, Dracula."

Drake's whole body stiffened at the syrupy voice that dripped with false promises, he _knew_ that voice, it echoed up from the depths of his memories, dredging up fear and anger and a burning that ripped through him.

" . . . no." Drake tried to back up again, pushing away, hearing and feeling footsteps toward him.

"Oh, _yes_." There was a soft cackle over him and hot breath on his face, breath that stank of rotting flesh and brimstone, "Aren't you happy to see me? Didn't you _miss_ me?"

"Leave me be!" Drake scrambled onto his stomach, feeling the toe of a boot pressing into his back, "Anubis!"

"They can't hear you right now, boy." the heel pressed harder, "Oh, aren't you happy to see Daddy, Drakey?"

Drake pressed his face to the cold floor, growling deep in his throat, "Begone, Sa-"

"Oh, no you don't, you don't possess the power to rebuke _me_ , boy. Now, you listen very carefully, your time is almost up, you thought running off with that dark-haired bitch and hiding would buy you time, but now it's over. You have a nice place all set up downstairs, now, come along."

Drake clawed at the hand that clamped around his wrist, "No, wait! Wait! I have something I have to do!"

"Oh?" The pulling stopped and the hot, brimstone breath was on his face again.

"There-There's a girl, please, I have to help her . . . then I'll-I'll go with you." Drake whispered, feeling the claws dig into his wrist painfully, "I promise, I swear on anything you want, I will go."

The cackle was louder now, "A girl you say? Well, now isn't that sweet! Hm, well, seeing how it will be your birthday soon, Daddy can give you that as your present, eh? You save this girl and then you'll come with me, no fuss, no whining, and no bargaining."

"Y-Yes, I will." Drake whispered, the claws released him and the presence was gone.

Drake hugged his knees, trying to get himself under control. No one died for his sins, he'd been marked for life and it wasn't even his fault. Son of Satan indeed, his mother had given herself to Him and now, the son was the one to blame, simply for existing. He'd made a bargain with Mephistopheles once before, he'd asked of a few years, and then he'd fled, outrunning the Devil himself, cheating death . . . but there was no redemption for him, so salvation, so . . . why bother? Why follow rules when they didn't seem to apply to him, the good or bad side of them? Well now he would pay for it all . . . he would have to answer for cheating the Devil out of something that was rightfully his.

The door opened and closed again,

"Drake? What are you doing on the floor?"

Drake heard and felt Anubis kneel next to him.

"Nothing, just . . . Anubis?"

"Hm?" Anubis gently helped Drake back to the bed.

"I . . . I love you, you know that, right?" Drake hugged onto Anubis's shoulders.

"I love you too, Drake." Anubis murmured.

"And, you know I want you to be happy, yes?"

"Of course, as much as I want you to be happy." Anubis kissed Drake's cheek, wondering where the hell all this was coming from.

"Good." Drake whispered, glad that he couldn't cry now, otherwise Anubis might suspect something.

* * *

Hannibal and Abigail were busy getting things together for another go at the warehouse.

"He's coming?" Abigail asked, gesturing to Drake.

"Yes." Anubis raised an eyebrow.

"Alright, we ready?" Hannibal shouldered a duffel of weaponry.

"Indubitably." Drake muttered, letting Anubis help him to the car and into the back seat, Anubis climbed in next to him.

The warehouse was a mess, but the two vampires and two vampire hunters searched nonetheless. Anubis turned over several shelves and boxes,

"I dunno, guys, I don't think there's anything here."

"I agree, let's go back and try a different lead." Abigail sighed worriedly.

"Right, well then, where's Drake?" Hannibal looked around.

"Drake?" Anubis called, "Where you at, love?"

"I think I've got something."

They all climbed over a bit of ceiling rafter and found Drake crouching next to the wall.

"How the fuck'd he get over there?" Hannibal muttered.

Anubis sidled up next to Drake, "What's up?"

"What is this?" Drake asked, holding up a scrap of pink cloth, "It smells like Zoe."

"Part of her sweater or something maybe?" Abigail murmured, "So, she was here?"

"Okay, but then where is she now?" Hannibal sighed, "Back to the drawing bo-"

"She's going to an old train station." Drake muttered.

"How do you know that?" Anubis asked, staring at Drake.

"Um, Braille." Drake gestured to a series of scratches in a piece of plywood, there was a broken bit of glass next to it.

"Clever girl." Anubis shook his head, "And she taught you to read it?"

"Yes." Drake murmured.

"Alright, then we just have to look up which train stations are either leech-owned _or_ have been abandoned, that can't be too difficult." Hannibal tapped his chin, "Alright, to the Batmobile!"

"The what?" Anubis blinked, helping Drake to his feet.

"Nevermind." Abigail smiled a little, shaking her head as Hannibal scampered over wreckage to their SUV.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well my lovelies, this is the end. Yep. Last chapter. Enjoy!

Drake laid back, his hands resting on Anubis's hips, "You sure about this? We are sort of in the middle of a crisis."

Anubis laughed above him, "Yes, I'm fucking sure, look, we both need to unwind and, let's face it, we've nothing better to do until Abby and Hannibal find leads. Come on, big boy, get it up for me."

Drake grimaced, he wasn't really in the mood for sex, but . . . he had a duty to his husband to pleasure him, so, why the hell not?

"Alright, love." Drake tried a smile, adjusting his hips under Anubis, "Let's do this, then."

Anubis purred softly, undoing his jeans and sliding them off, next went his sweatshirt and then his briefs. Drake didn't respond at first, he could hear everything, but that wasn't doing much for him, he'd never had much of an imagination.

Anubis huffed, "You gonna just lay there or what?"

Drake started and then blushed in embarrassment, "Sorry . . . help me get these clothes off."

"You realize this could be a whole new experience?" Anubis asked, letting Drake sit up on the bed while he helped the bigger vampire out of his clothes.

"How so? We've made love before." Drake furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Well, you'll have to relearn my body." Anubis shrugged, "I think that in itself is erotic."

"Ah." Drake sighed once his clothes were all discarded.

They sat in silence, Anubis turned so they were facing each other, he licked his lips and reached out a hand, gently taking Drake's wrist and putting it on his chest, he breathed in and out slowly, just so Drake would know what he was touching. Drake tilted his head to the side curiously, his fingers splayed out and then his hand started to wander slowly over Anubis's pectorals, finding a nipple and gently running his fingertips over it. Anubis hissed softly out of pleasure, trying to be patient with Drake.

Drake felt heat rush through him at Anubis's little noise of approval, his fingers roamed slowly upwards to Anubis's neck, stroking where a heartbeat should be with his thumb, finding an earlobe and the small earring looped through it,

"When did you pierce your ears again?"

Anubis chuckled, "Um, a few weeks ago."

“Can’t believe I missed that . . . “ Drake murmured thoughtfully.

Drake sighed, slowly tracing a finger along Anubis's jaw and finding his lips, he pressed his fingers into Anubis's mouth, exploring the thick plane of his tongue with the sensitive digits. Anubis moaned, tilting his head back and panting miserably, huffing his breath over Drake's hand. Drake finally withdrew his fingers and gently moved his other hand down Anubis's back, stopping when his hand found Anubis's ass, the indent of his tailbone and buttocks, Drake moved his saliva-slicked fingers back, pushing them slowly into Anubis's entrance, feeling his husband's body tighten around the roving digits and pull him in tighter.

"Ah . . . " Anubis grabbed Drake's shoulders and pulled himself more fully into Drake's lap, his forehead pressing to Drake's.

Drake smiled at the warm familiarity of Anubis's inside, curling his fingers and pumping them, prodding Anubis's prostate until the dark-haired vampire was gasping and biting down on Drake's neck, his fangs producing twin streams of red blood.

"Yes, now I remember." Drake whispered, his cock lengthening proudly between his legs, pulsing with _want_ , he needed this, he realized, needed to be inside Anubis and fuck the bastard until neither of them could move. To let the humans fix the current problem and then, when they found out where Zoe was, he would be the first in the car. Drake growled possessively and pushed Anubis onto the bed, withdrawing his fingers and reveling in how Anubis growled at being left empty. Drake snarled, finding and taking in Anubis's cock, hollowing his cheeks and pushing the other vampire's legs farther apart, his hand snapping down and firmly cupping Anubis's balls.

"Gods, will you hurry the fuck up? I'm _ready_ for fuck's sake!" Anubis snarled, smacking Drake's head impatiently, "You and your fucking foreplay! When have I ever asked for _foreplay_? I'm a guy, dammit, I can get it up just _thinking_ of you naked! I don't need to get warmed up!"

Drake started laughing so hard his sides hurt, because, fuck, it was _funny_ , he wasn't trying to warm Anubis up . . . he thought foreplay was just another step in love-making, but, what the hell, "Alright, don't get so bitchy."

Anubis scowled at Drake (making a mental note that scowling, pouting, and giving bedroom eyes no longer worked on the bastard), "Well, let's go! Come _on_!"

"What the hell are you? A teenager? When the fuck have you ever been this horny?" Drake kept laughing, finding Anubis's entrance again, keeping one hand on his ass while holding his other out, "You want lube or what?"

"Lube, yes!" Anubis fumbled around their nightstand until he procured a small bottle, he undid the cap and squirted a healthy dollop on Drake's hand, "There, go for it, big guy."

Drake did himself up and leaned forward, pushing in easily. They both stopped then, Drake stopped being frantic and worried and uncertain, and Anubis stopped being angsty and pissed-off and anxious. They both just . . . stopped, Drake held Anubis and Anubis held Drake, they moved in slow, perfect synchrony, they were quiet and it became gentle and nothing seemed to exist outside the bedroom. Drake rested his head on the bed next to Anubis while his hips slowly, carefully pushed into Anubis. Anubis wrapped his arms around Drake and closed his eyes, breathing out slowly and smiling, he felt Drake wrapping his fingers around his cock and shuddered when his husband began to pump along the length, squeezing the head, and Anubis sighed, his hips pushing deeper into Drake's hand. It was so . . . peaceful.

"I love you." Anubis whispered, kissing Drake's neck and pressing his face into the crook, inhaling the feral scent, familiar and safe.

"I love you, too." Drake murmured, "Is this okay?"

"It's fine, just fine." Anubis smiled, snuggling closer to Drake, "Is it alright for you?"

"Oh, yes . . . yes, it is." Drake chuckled, "I'm going to pick it up a bit, that okay with you?"

"Okay." Anubis braced himself as Drake made his strokes a little rougher, his thrusts a little deeper. Anubis closed his eyes and whimpered as the tip of Drake's cock stroked his prostate, sending a slow, residual bit of pleasure over his whole body.

Drake took a deep breath and pushed a little harder until his careful attentions bore fruit, Anubis gasped and whimpered as he came, thick and hot on Drake's hand. Drake groaned as Anubis tightened around him, there was a moment when Drake thought he heard harsh laughter and then he came, filling Anubis with his seed and leaving himself empty.

They were both silent, Drake moved to pull out, but, Anubis stopped him,

"Stay." It wasn't an order and not really a request either, Drake could hear the tremor and he knew that, without doing so, Anubis was begging him.

"As you wish." Drake settled on top of Anubis, his hand reaching up to stroke Anubis's hair, feeling the feathery strands as they slipped through his fingers like water. Neither spoke for several minutes, the only noise was a strange dripping sound coming from the bathroom, Anubis sighed in the stillness, the quiet threatened to break, the world was just outside their door and he couldn't think of anything he'd rather not do than get out of this bed and face it, but . . . they couldn't hide here forever.

"Alright, I'm good." Anubis mumbled, he sniffled when Drake slid out, feeling unbearably empty and cold without Drake.

"You're upset . . ." Drake murmured, kissing Anubis's cheek.

"No, I'm fine . . . I'm sorry." Anubis whispered, feeling his eyes sting with tears.

"For what?" Drake pushed up a bit, staring down at Anubis (as well as someone without eyes can).

"I . . . I wish . . . fuck it, it's stupid, nevermind." Anubis grumbled, reaching up to wipe irritably at his eyes.

"Whatever it is, I can assure you, it isn't stupid." Drake murmured, snaking his arms behind Anubis.

"I wish I could . . . that I could have been what you wanted." Anubis rushed through the last words, embarrassed by them as soon as they left his mouth.

" . . . I don't understand." Drake sighed.

"No, that- fuck, that didn't come out right." Anubis sat up a bit, "I mean, I wish we could have a baby . . . that's what I meant. I wish we could have had kids and then maybe we wouldn't be where we are today, I could have given you perfect, complete children that wouldn't have gotten sick or died or . . . I don't know. I know I bitch about when you call me a girl but, sometimes . . . sometimes I wish I could get pregnant."

Drake smiled slightly at the ridiculous image of a pregnant Anubis, "I appreciate that, love."

"But, we can't, can we? I'm a man . . . I can't get pregnant." Anubis sighed, "Sorry, that must sound so silly."

"No, not silly at all, babe," Drake murmured, leaning up until he found Anubis's lips, kissing him gently, "I wish we could have children too, but I love you the way you are, so . . . I guess we'll just have to be happy like this."

"We could adopt." Anubis said, a smile tugging at his lips, "When this is all over, we could go away like you want, but why don't we live a little instead of going to sleep? We could adopt a child and . . . and you could turn it and we could raise it! Oh, Drake, wouldn't that be nice? We could-"

Drake had stopped listening to Anubis, the promise he'd made . . . he had agreed to go once Zoe was safe . . . he was deeply regretting that agreement, "Anubis?"

"And then- Yes?" Anubis stopped babbling to blink at Drake.

"I . . . I don't think there will be any time." Drake tried to keep his voice level, but his heart tugged at his tongue, making his words crack.

"Why?" Anubis suddenly wasn't feeling very safe.

"I . . . I may not be around afterward, let's leave it at that." Drake said quickly, "Please don't ask what I mean, please."

Anubis swallowed and tried to understand what Drake could possibly mean, but he only said 'okay' and laid back down, hugging Drake tightly.

* * *

Hannibal looked up, "How many times do you suppose those guys have fucked since we got back?"

Abigail blinked up from the computer, "I really don't care."

"Oh, sorry. So, got it?"

"Just about, but, I'm not too sure about this. Hannibal, there's a reason Asher took Zoe and I doubt it was because he wanted to see us again."

"I know, but, I am not omniscient, I must go with the flow and not question the whims of fate." Hannibal said dramatically, only becoming serious when his jests didn't make Abigail smile, "I dunno, we'll figure it out."

"I hope so." Abigail turned back to the computer.

Hannibal sighed, kneeling behind her and wrapping his arms around her, his head resting on her arm, "I promise, we'll make it through, okay?"

Abigail rested her head on his and nodded, "If you say so."

* * *

Drake laid back, it was only a matter of time before they found Zoe, and then what? He didn't want to leave Anubis behind . . . he didn't want to go . . .

"Hey, guys we- Oh my god!" Hannibal threw up a hand to shield his eyes, "What is _wrong_ with you?"

"Don't you ever knock?" Anubis snapped, sitting up and tugging his pants on, "Good grief, if the door's closed what the fuck do you think we're doing? Playing Senate?"

"I have no idea what that is, but hey, we think we got it." Hannibal hurried out the door.

Drake sat up, sighing and scratching his stomach, "Well, let's go."

"Uh, Drake?" Anubis put a hand on Drake's shoulder.

"What?" Drake put his hand on Anubis's

"Why don't you, er, stay here? It would be safer and, let's face it, you aren't much good in a fight right now."

Drake's face fell, "Oh . . . yeah, I suppose you're right . . . I'll uh, hold down the fort, then?"

"Yeah, I'll be back later, okay?" Anubis kissed the top of Drake's head and then scurried out the door.

Drake sat there, pulling his knees up to his chin and groaning, great, now he was stuck here all by himself.

"Wonderful."

Drake curled up tighter, pulling the comforter around his shoulders and snuggling into the thick, warm blanket, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. He laid back on the bed, he was exhausted . . . he was hungry . . . he was going to die . . . Funny how life comes up behind you and fucks you until you can't even beg for mercy anymore. Tears no longer existed for Drake, but he knew he was crying by the stutter in his chest and the aching where his eyes should be, he covered his head with the comforter and willed himself to sleep. His mind resisted but soon he was fast asleep in a nest of blankets.

* * *

Anubis looked at the station, apprehension welling up in his chest, the last time he'd gone anywhere without Drake, he'd ended up getting a stake in the shoulder. He took a deep breath and composed his face, taking a few steps inside, his head tilting slightly to try and detect any movement, nope, nothing right now.

"It's all clear." Anubis muttered into the headset.

"Alright, we're coming in."

Anubis stood perfectly still, then, he heard it, a soft whimper, "Hang on, I'm getting something."

There it was again, Anubis slowly stepped toward the sound, he ended up in an old ticket office, pushing the door slowly open he could see a huddled figure in one corner. Slowly, cautiously Anubis stepped closer, taking a deep breath and sighing with relief,

"Zoe?"

The figure didn't move.

"You find her?" Hannibal's voice crackled in his ear.

"Yeah, I'll be out shortly," Anubis squatted down and reached out his hand, "Hey, Zoe, it's okay, it's me, Anubis."

The figure slowly turned around and Anubis froze . . . blood . . . so much blood . . .

Hannibal and Abigail had enough time to see Anubis being flung backward into a wall before all Hell broke loose. There were vampires everywhere and suddenly Anubis was rushing back to the ticket office, howling something in a foreign language and pulling a laughing and blood-soaked Asher out, ripping the vampire's head off and burying his face into the bloody neck-stump, sucking down the blood as it soaked his Kevlar vest and pants. Anubis threw his head back and roared, his body changing rapidly from the slim, beautiful Anubis into . . . something else. Hannibal and Abigail and every vampire still alive stopped to stare at the ancient monster, it wasn't like Drake, it was different, a long purple tongue slathered over bloody, thin lips and rows of serrated teeth, narrow blood-red eyes glowed murderously from the horned head, horns that protruded out of the temples and curled around pointed ears, the long mane of black hair falling around them. Anubis slowly stood, muscular limbs were tipped with long, sharp claws, a long tail flicking in the air and his skin was black as night. Where Drake was a man-beast, Anubis was all beast.

"She's not here." Anubis snarled, saliva dripping thickly from his jaws, "She's dead."

"what?" Abigail whispered, the horror painting across her face, " _No_."

"Yes, Asher killed her and covered himself with her blood . . . I'm sorry." Anubis was slowly turning back into himself, tears rolling slowly down his face, "I'm so sorry . . . "

"But, why-" Hannibal started, but then, they all stopped and realized the vampires were now gone, that they were alone in the station, "Where'd they-?"

Hannibal didn't get to finish . . .

* * *

Drake sat up when he heard someone staggering up the stairs, then he smelled it, blood, stinking, burnt blood.

"Anubis? What's going on? Where are-"

"Drake . . . "

Drake felt someone sitting down next to him and then he felt a hand touch his face, it left a slick film on his face and he could smell that it was blood and ashes, " . . . what happened?"

"Explosion . . . he set us up." Anubis whispered hoarsely, "I don't think . . . ungh! I don't think I'm gonna make it, babe."

Drake felt Anubis fall into his lap and he could smell blood, burnt flesh, and . . . silver, massive amounts of silver.

"And . . . Zoe?"

"Dead before we got there." Anubis panted, "I'm so sorry, Drake . . . I tried."

"no, you did all you could, it's alright, go to sleep, Anubis, I'll watch over you while you rest." Drake stroked Anubis's hair, feeling it fall away under his hand, some was already singed off.

"Heh . . . 'watch over me'? You're . . . heh . . . ah . . . you're blind . . . " Anubis mumbled, trying to laugh, but . . . it hurt too much, "I love you."

"I love you too, it's alright, sleep."

"Okay." Anubis closed his eyes as a presence entered the room, but it was too late for him to register anything.

"Ready?" A silky, oily voice intoned next to Drake.

"Yes." Drake carefully lifted Anubis into his arms and started to stand, "Let's go."

Mephistopheles chuckled, throwing an arm around Drake, "Don't you worry, Drakey my boy, you and Anubis both have nice, comfy spots in my kingdom and your mother will be ever so happy to see you."

"I'll bet." Drake muttered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay before you start gathering the lynch mob, I WROTE A SEQUEL!! Okay? I wrote the first few chapters (about five I think) of a sequel in which everything is okay and Anubis and Drake are living together so it will be a fic about just them, okay? It's called The Dragon and The Jackal and it will be out soon so don't let your feels die just yet!!!


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